The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-03-29
FOR new ARMORY
Matter Now in Hands Of Com
mittGH.
OFFICERS MEETING YESTERDAY
Colonel Fisher Believes in
Benefit and Bazaar.
OFFICERS MEETING YESTERDAY
One Military Man Says That Gov
Members of the NJ. G. H.

There was a meeting of the officers
of the First Regiment at Headquarters
yesterday, called for the purpose of
considering the ArmOry project. The
subject was discussed from every point
of view, and then placed in the hands
of a committee, consisting of Lieuten-
ant-Colonel Fisher, Maj. J. Walter
Jones and Capt. E. o. White, with
power TO formulate a plan of proceed
ure. Colonel Fisher was seen after the
meeting and expressed himself enthu-
siastically of the scheme.
There is really nothing in our mill
tary life to induce the young men of
Honolulu to enlist in the volunteer
service. Practically, there is no place
for them to go at nights where military
matters are talked over. In the United
States, it is the amusements provided
by the various companies, which
take young men into the service. The
armories are fitted up so that they will
attract the men. Gymnasiums are to
be found in nearly all of them, and
the members of the companies find a.
great deal of sport night after night.
An armory in Honolulu would not cost
great deal, even if buiit of stone;
the Government owns the quarries, and
the expense of the stone would merely
be the cutting and carriage.
What we want is the nucleus of an
.,,-r nd {
will take hold of it, we can get it in
short order. Professor Bristol has Of
fered us a benefit on any night we may
select. and the terms are advantageous.
/ feel that we can make $500 or $500
perhaps more-in this way. The COM
mittee has the matter in charge, and
will decide what will be done. There
are a dozen different ways of securing
the money, but we need cooperation.
| believe, for instance, that we could
give a bazar at the Drill Shed that
would net us 50, 800. Every one would
be interested in it, and the ladies of
Honolulu would lend their aid in the
way of making fancy articles. I would
not be surprised if we could clear
S3 900 in two weeks. That, together
with what we would make out of the
benefit rendered by Professor Bristol,
would give us the start we require.
I do not believe it would be necessary
FOR us to wait until we had raised the
entire sum before beginning the build
ing.
'If we can increase the volunteer
force and bring it up to a higher stan
dard of excellence, there would be no
occasion for such large active force
as the Government now maintains.
One company of men is all that would
be needed under pay. and the volun-
teers could fill the gap at a cOnsidera-
BILE saving to the taxpayers"
It is probable that if every man in
the National Guard took as much in
terest in the military as does Colonel
Fisher. the aTmOTy would be built.
But they do not. and they lay the
blame of their lack of interest entirely
to the action of the Government in
bestowing its patronage. The men who
are out of work, and some of those
who have employment say there is no
encoura cement for the men to join the
military. One man said yesterday. and
he happens TO be one of the employed:
''No one has a deeper interest in the
affairs of the National Guard of Ha-
waii than I. but what use is there in
these men giving their time and serv-
ices to the Government without some
return? IF there is a position vacant
in any department. the plum drops in
20 the lap of member of the Citizens
Guard or one of the Sharpshooters'
Company. neither of which body calls
the men out for drill or parade. They
meet once a year for inspection and
election of officers, and occasionally
shoot in target matches. that is all.
''I do not wish TO imply that men
should go into the military merely to
secure employment. but I think the
men who volunteered their services in
'93 and '95. when the Government was
in doubt about its position, should have
the preference. Here the other day,
when the Japanese were refused a