The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-23
THE MILITARY BOARD.
m. yEwrs' BILL INCREASING ITS
= MEMBERsHIP OPPOSED.
n<n. Charles j. Anderson, Colonel 10 Lane
stern and Others Appear Before tho
Committee No Action Taken.

The House Committee on Militia ana
Police held its first session last night IN
room No. ! on the upper floor of the
Capitol building. Mr.. McRae. OF Peters
burg. presided. Several matters OF i'm
portance to the volunteer service of the
State were taken up Among the gentle
men present were Adjutant-General
Charles j. Anderson. lnspector-Gcneral
10. Lane Stern. Captain l.. Leslie Spence,
Major w. N. Sands, Captains j. X. Ten
nant. G.. W. Anderson, G.. +. Shackie-
ford. G. +. Halves. c. @. Bossieux. Major
Cutchins. Major Simons. Captain Euker.
MAJOR Sutton. Lieutenant Wood, and
Lieutenant Chcatwood
MIR Lewis. OF Culpepcr. spoke TO his
bill to increase the membership of the
Military Board by removing therefrom
the secretary OF the Commonwealth. and
substituting for him the colonies OF the
various regiments. in speaking OF the
duties OF tho board he stated that II
had charge of the disbursement OF about
$1,000 and there was considerable com
plant among the men that they conidn
get the money due them ne couidn
specify any command that hadn goi-,
ten its proportion Of the fund. but saia
he had letters from Colonel NalIe ana
Captain Goodlow, OF cuiPeper, G nonr{penced
in getting their proportion OF the iuhu'
OPPOSED TO THE BILL.
General Anderson next addressed me
committee and spoke Of this biiSss nav
ing been introduced between night anu
morning. At the last LeglSiatuiTe, me
said. "A similar bill 10 this Shd mao coiii i
up. and said that the bill was slnpiy
one 10 remove the AaluesSh' tie eaid
the complaints spoken OF had only peel a
coming in within the past four years, a ,ha
ne knew not what taeir stourGLSin vi lie lie
read a circular letter which emanaieu
from the Adjutant- Generals once IN ~
settling forth nat the officers OF the
volunteer service themselves met and al
rected how the military fund shoQlu pe
distributed. and, continuing ne siuo, u,se
priaton for the volunteer service, In
Virginia militia compared favoraply Wi.n
that of any other state. inc .oea 'i
strength OF the militia Of Virginia was
nrer 2 d1o men. 20 per cent Of which was
colored General Anderson submitted
some figures showing how the iund' III
1904 and 1896 had been distributed -.
lie argued that it would be far bet
fer for the Legislature 10 permit lne
Military Board to remain at u nov cent
thereby giving satisfaction 10 70 per Gen, ~
80 me officers in the service, ana 10
Increase the fund. and thereby stop tnc
complaint Of the other per cent. psh-
eral Anderson sald inat 10 IN I've colo
Military Board by placing the nNff I'm nm
nals Of the service thereon woulH w
nuestionably entail a large cost as n,le
age would have to be ano"s am illus
tration Of this cost, he referred to me
expenses of Colonel Male, VINO Md11 49,, 81
dered by the Governor to come 70 Ihs,io
ond .Sd act "a Adiutant-General, WhiIe
M mo',u "a SSS Ip was in Atlanta with the
ROTH Di.--y SALARY
Mr. Lewis here questioned General An
derson and asked him II MS salary was
nh IL q
mo sir" replied the General "e"'
nv ord IT of the Governor. H..
Didn't Colonel Male ora% ", vas was asked.
ives sir" was the reply; but that l
hive nothing TO do with.
General Anderson oo9 TdIonei Nash. of
the Fourth; Colonel Baker, OF me SCI
und. Colonel Eukor, OF the Iirsl "a "t >
Regiment. and Major C sm nnt and nd out out
onnosed TO changing the board. Major
Cutchins endorsed the reference 10 MN
SELF. and letters from Colonies Nash anu
Daker were read showing their oblec-
tions 10 n change ,
I'm reply to a query, General Anderson
stated that of the ten msmpera ol On sr
proposed board six of them iVed III
Richmond w. A.,
dorson next addressed the committee. auu
first showed the disinterestedness OF inc
present board. not one being attached "a
any command of the state. Discussins
the proposed hoard, he sad mat VII
each organization represented thereoiI
there would be scramble Tor the luno
each command trying TO get the iarEes'
slice of ~, and this would result IN ll'
formation Of cidues, and while one por'
ton of the service nOurished the othei
part would decline. He thought tnat tns
hoard as now constructed was fair aho
impartial. and that IL was doing luslic'
10 tho service which would hardly 10
done n the board were increased as pro
posed.
COLONEL STERN'S OBJECTIONS.
Colonel 10 Lane Stern was the next
officer 10 speak on the subject ana ne
detailed the appropriations made 10 tnt
service both from the state and the
General Government lie carefully
showed the manner In which the rune
had been distributed, and showed ina
the only departure from the rule OF dis
tribution had been In favor OF Colone
Males regiment. who were now before
the committee as the chief complainers
lie said he had no objections 10 benl
removed from the board. but he thought
that the officer who did the inspecting
whether II was himself or not was
valuable man to have on the board az
the Inspector was naturally very muci
better posted as To the needs OF the Ser
vice than any one else. lie told OF th'
great care exercised. by the board In dis
tributing the fund. and said that the,
worked hard and conscientiously to Civ
the private as many cents as was possible
out OF the appropriation. tie spoke O.
known 10 him. and said that II was clear
ly shown that he or they were no.
friends OF the service. as majority o
the officers in the service were opposed
10 A. ana they ought TO know what the,
wanted As evidence OF their opposl
ton he submitted a petition signed b.
twenty-four officers. ASKING that all o
the bills prepared by Mr.. Lewis be re
ported adversely
SIR Lewis asked Mr. Stern how it woul'
suit the Officers to have the board com
posed of the Governor, the Brigadier
General the senior colonel of cavalry
the senior colonel of infantry, and IN
senior major OF artillery.
Colonel stern said he didn't see the eX
pediency OF such a change. tie didn
think he and his associates were beior
The committee for the purpose OF a com
promise If this Is simply move
satisfy a disgruntled officer here or
dissatisfied Onicer there, Colonel Ster
said he didn't think II was worthy q
consideration by the Legislature.
Major Simons spoke in favor Z
changes in the board, but aid not cndors
the bill fully. lie saw no reason VIII
the Secretary OF the Commonwealth
should be on A. lie thought the boar
should be composed OF the Governor
the Adiutant-General and the senior OF
ficer OF each branch OF the service NJ
no objection. however. 20 placing o
the board the senior colonel OF infantry
NO ACTION TAKEN
Major Cutchins referred to a paraerar
in the bill providing that the junior on
Ger present should bc the clerk /
Huf nj a.