Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-12
ENCOURAGE RIFLE PRACTICE
What National Riffs Association Wants
Government to Do.
ASKS SUPPORT FOR BILL IN CONGRESS
Measure ApproprIates Ten Thousand
Dollars Annually for Expenses
of Rine Contests for SOL
diers aud Sailors.

Tt accentuate the Importance Of the Ma
tional Rife association and to enhance the
value Of the organization to the soldiers
Of the United States regular army and to
the national guard, a move Is on foot
whereby the United States is asked to give
its support to a plan that will bring the
association more prominently before the
country.
The most important result Of this step
so far has been the introduction of a bill
in the house of representatives on May 8
last, providing for the appropriation Of
$40, 900 annually for the purpose Of furnish
ing a national trophy and medals and other
prizes to be provided and contested for
annually, under such regulations as may be
prescribed by the secretary Of war.
The bill further provides that the an
nual contest shall be open to the army.
marine corps, navy and national guard or
organized militia OF the several states, ter
~ritories and the District Of Columbia. The
$40, 900 is to be appropriated each year, and
is to pay all cost Of the trophies and all
expenses incident to the contest.
All members Of the National Rife asso-
citation and all others interested are urged
to communicate at once with their repre-
sentatives In congress and their senator's,
with a view to securing the passage Of the
bill, which is house roll 1880. 1t is ear
nestly desired to have the bill passed
this session Of congress.
War Department Acts.
This matter has arisen from the appoint
ment of a special committee at the last
meeting of the association to investigate
this idea and formulate a plan of pro-
cedure. The committee waited upon the
secretary Of war last January, and he re-
quested that its suggestion be presented to
him in the form of a communication This
document, when It reached the secretary
OF war, was referred by him to the adiutant
general of the army, who in turn referred
1t to Major James Parker, assistant ad-
jutant general, for his recommendations.
The recommendations suggested first the
institution of an advisory committee Of
fifteen men. to include the president of the
association. seven members to be appointed
by him and seven at large to be appointed
by the president Of the United States.
The whole idea of this committee was
to encourage rife practice. The special COM
mittee further recommended the appoint
ment of a board of officers to investigate
and handle range facilities, conditions I'M
Ger which qualification as marksmen shall
be had, the kind OF range target desirable,
and where range facilities not now existing
should be provided.
Examples of Foreign Countries.
Lastly the committee recommended that
steps be taken to ascertain what the foreign
governments do in the way of encouraging
rifle practice, and that legislation be eff
fected, IL not already existing, to permit
the purchase Of arms and ammunition at
cost by the association.
Assistant Adjutant General James Parker
received the recommendations with high
favor. which was largely the cause Of the
bill desired being at so early a date intro
duced. Major Parkerf stated in a memo
randum on the report of the special COM
mittee that its recommendations were in
the line of practice and proposed legislation
Of several countries, notably Switzerland
and Great Britain, in which, as in the
United States, the military education by
CONSUMPTION of the entire male population
is not possible.
Major Parker further dwelt on the idea
that the ability to hit a mark is a very
large part Of the value of a soldier, and
said that when CONSUMPTION is not possible
the encouragement Of rife firing as a mill
tary sport affords to the government Of a
free country the opportunity to give to the
male citizen ft for military service at
least a part Of the training which Is neces-
sary In war.
Finally, Major Parker said that such steps
as recommended by the special committee
would. in his opinion, produce the best re-
suits, and suggested that the board con-
slider among other things the establishment
OF a system of general target instruction,
government-aided, to include those not en-
rolled In the national guard, but who desire
to ft themselves in this most important
military qualification.