The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-10
NO RIFLE CONTESTS
MILITARY sHARPsHooTERs WON'T
COMPETE THIS YEAR.
THE OFFICERS AGAINST 1T.
AND INSPECTOR GENERAL or
RIFLE PRACTICE ACQUIEsCEs.

cr8l OF hIne Practice Tor the state
Troops, VIII Issue an Order De-
cIarinE the Rifle Competitions OF.
This Action Advised by officers of
savannah Commands, at Meet
ing observation-disclosures of Con-
tests Were to BE Paid by state
Only Ia the Event There Was
Surplus of Military Fund-Too I'm
certain Plan.
There will be no rifle contests for the
regiments and companies of the state
troops on Avondale Rifle Range this
year. That there should be none was
the sense of a meeting of officers held
yesterday and in this view of the mat
ter Col George T. Cam, state inspec-
tor general of rifle practice, acquiesced.
He will issue an order declaring the
contests off, The decision is due to the
fact that there are no funds belonging
to the military department of the state
that can be positively and finally APP
propriated to the payment of the ex-
penses of the contests and the chances
seemed to be that the teams from regi-
mnts and companies that came to Sa-
vannah for the purpose of taking part
in them would have to defray them
selves the cost of their transportation
and subsistence.
The meeting of officers had been call
ed by Col. Cam and was held at G
o'clock yesterday evening, at the law
| offices of G. 7. &sJ. F. Cam. on Bryan
street, east. About thirty of the Off
GERS of the state troops stationed in
| Savannah, representing every COM
mand in the city, attended the meet
ing.
Col. Cam explained the situation. He
said that he had already inaugurated
| the movement to repeat the rife con-
| tests held at AVondale last year, and
| had thought that about the middle of
| September would perhaps be the best
| time for holding them. The responses
| he had received from commands OUT
! side the city to his invitations to send
| teams had been encouraging, and he
| saw no reason to doubt that if the con-
| tests were held the success of last
| year would be duplicated or over-shad-
| owed.
However, there were some obstacle
in the way. His own official duties
| kept him closely at the Court House
| and 1t would be necessary for him to
ask and receive considerable assistance
| from his brother officers, in arrang-
ing for and conducting the contests.
| In order to make them a success. He
| was assured from every side that this
was not really an obstacle, and that
he could have and would be given
| every possible aid that he needed
There was another trouble, said Col.
| Cam. The necessary expenses for
| transportation and subsistence of the
members of the teams competing at
| the shoot and of conducting the con-
tests would be between $1,000 and ST.
300. Last year these expenses had been
paid by the state, but all that
Gov. Gambler had been able to
| promise this year was that if
| there were funds remaining on hand at
! the end of the fiscal year, the expenses
of the contests and of the competing
| teams would be repaid. In the mean
| time the visiting teams would have to
pay for their own transportation and
subsistence and the Savannah officers
or commands for ammunition and the
expenses of conducting the contests.
| Since Col. Cam saw theN Governor on
| the subject and obtained this rather
unsatisfactory promise, he had received
a letter, in which the Governor said
he was not to count too much on re-
ceiving repayment for the expenses of
| the contests.
There was only $1,000 OF the military
| appropriation remaining unexpended
when Col. Cams conversation with
the Governor took place and since that
| time about one-sixth of this amount
has been used to defray the expenses
of troops sent to protect negro muir
! derer, in one of the counties of North
|
| fears of the Governor would be real
| lied and that .there would be nothing
of the appropriation remaining with
which to defray the expenses of the
contests, and Col. P. w. Meldrim of
the First Cavalry and Capt. J. NJ. Rog-
ers of the Savannah Volunteer Guards
voiced what proved to be the opinion
of the great majority of the officers
when they said they thought the con-
tests. under all circumstances, should
not be held this year.
| 1t would be bad for Savannah If
| troops from other sections of the state
| should come here and then have to pay
| their own expenses in the end, and Sa-
vannah, in a way, would be held re-
| sponsible for this condition of affairs.
| Col. Meldrim said he did not think this
should be risked, when the uncertainty
| was so great, and Capt. Rogers in
| dorsed him. The question was put to
vote and eighteen officers of twenty
| eight voted to declare the contents off.
| Col. Cam will abide by this decision
and. indeed, agrees with it thoroughly.
He is disappointed, of course. that the
contests will not take place, but he
| would be even more disappointed If
| they should be held and not prove a
success. He will issue an order declar-
| ing off the rifle contests for Georgia
| State Troops for the year 1901.