The herald., 1896-08-11
AFTER GENERAL BARRETT
National Ouardsmen Dissatisfied With the
AdIutsnt Generals Office

The wrath of the national guard Is
again being directed against Adjutant
General Barrett, says the San Francisco
Post.
The much absent from duty official is
being very severely criticised UP ana
down the line, and the guardsmen are
loudly threatening to appeal to GOV.
Rudd to assist them in bringing the
general to the point of realizing that he
must do something to redeem his nu-
merous pledges made at the time he was
anXiously seeking his appointment to
Office
He has promised to do this and that
for the military, but as yet he has done
nothing but keep the latter in state of
uneasiness. In short, his administration
of the affairs of his important office has
been openly characterized as farce.
One of the complaints lately made
against the adjutant general is in con-
nection with the recent preliminary tar
get practice, which, it would seem,
proved a miserable failure. This fact
is attributed to the action of the gen
eral who, previous to the shoot. estab-
lished rule that marksman, in order
to qualify himself to compete in the
regular or final contest at the butts.
must, in the preliminary practice qualify
at or above 40.
In other words, If a man scored 80
points. there would be no need of his
competing in the second shoot, even if
he We're assured of making the highest
score. This RULE has greatly democrat
lied the guard throughout the state.
Men who are ordinarily rated as good
marksmen but who, through some mis-
fortune, made poor score in the pre-
liminary trials, have become discour
aged and do not attend the second
shoot, or. if they do. it is simply in obe-
dence of orders, and they do not try to
improve their score. Hence the present
waning interest in target practice ami
the loud protest of the guardsmen
against the way the $4,000 appropriated
for this purpose is being wasted.
The officers. too, are complaining at the
delay at Sacramento in the issuance Of
orders and various reports. Although
the fiscal year closed in June nothing
yet has been heard or seen of the ad-
jutant generals report of the division and
brigade inspectors, which were forward
cd to Sacramento some time ago.
The frequency of the complaints lately
against the adjutant generals office
has suggested to the officers of the ma
tional CARDS the advisability of having
the next legislature strip that office of
some of its present authority and en-
powering the division commander to
have full charge of the affairs of the
state forces. With live man such as
Major General James to manage their
affairs the officers and men believe that
the interests of the guard would be gen.
orally improved and complaints would
certainly not be so frequent.
The Second brigade, by the way. is
anXiously waiting for General James to
declare himself, which he will do as
soon as he has appointed his staff. The
members already appointed on the lat
ter held a meeting Thursday night, Gen
eral James presiding. The purpose of
the meeting was to discuss each officers
future duties and to listen to various
suggestions from the commanding Off
GER, who is desirous of making a record
for himself in his new position.