The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-25
QUESTION OF FUNDS
DOUBT WHETHER STATE HAS
ENOUGH FOR STATE SHOOT.
PLACE HAS BEEN SETTLED.
SAVANNAH SOLDIERY TURNS ITS
ATTENTION TO WAYS AND
MEANS.

omcers Think That They Can show
the Shate Authorities That the
Funds Available are Sufficient.
Many Members of the Board In
cIined to Same View - Military
Grateful for Cooperation Given
Them in Their Effort TO Secure
the Standardization to Have n
Range Like the One at Avondale.
As a result of the Governors visit
no doubt is left in the minds of the
military men of Savannah that If a
state shoot is ordered the place ap-
pointed for it will be Avondale range.
The matter will be left entirely to the
Advisory Board, and it is known that
about fifteen of the seventeen MEM
beers have expressed themselves in Ia
vor of the Savannah range. The
whole question now is whether any
shoto at all will be held there being d
doubt as to whether there are sutti-
cient funds for the purpose.
The announcement in the Morning
News that the matter would be left to
the governing board came as a sur
prise to many of the military men,
and was the topic of military talk
yesterday. While the officers and
men were confident last night, from
the Governors utterances, and from
remarks made by members of his par
ty that he had practically concluded
TO name Savannah as the place for the
camp of inspection, the announcement
that he would leave the matter with
the Advisory Board dispeled every
shadow of d doubt, and the officers,
with one accord, express themselves
positively that if any state shoot is
held it win be here.
The question of funds is the one to
which we have turned our attention
now said Pest Adjutant w. L.
COney of the Interstate Military Rifle
Association in speaking of the matter
yesterday. Our persistent efforts, the
cooperation we have received, the
impression which the Governor receiv-
ed from his visit, and the unquestioned
superiority of the AvOndale range over
all others have settled the matter of
place. 1t is for us now to show the
Governor and the Advisory Board that
there are sufficient funds at their COM
mand to justify the expenditure Incl
dent to the shoot.
There are Sufficient Funds.
1T is imperative that we have the
shoot. We must have it, and the in
terstate shoot too. l believe that we
will get it, as l believe that we can
show the governing board the neces-
sity and practicability of holding the
shoot. Some of them | under
stand have already said that they con-
sidered that there are sufficient funds.
The ANondale range has a great add
vantage in it's equipment. which viii
enable us to handle twice the number
of men in a given time as can be
handledj on any other range, so that
we can accommodate nearly twice as
many men here, at about the same fig
ure as other shoots that have been
held.
The officers are a little surprised that
Macon should make bid for the
shoot. Several of them in speaking of
the matter yesterday said that in view
of the fact that. the Macon people have
their hands filled with the coming
State Fair, and as their range has de-
Perforated in value during the past
year, while the Savannah range has
been improved nearly 100 per cent,
they are not in a position to make the
lCQucSl VI " Otl6F lI6
which the authorities would expect.
They think that it is very plucky in
the Maconites, but are not inclined to
the belief that they have d whit of a
chance.
Every official who has seen the two
ranges says the Avondale range is far
superior. Col. English, chief of the
Governors staff and an Atlanta man,
expressed himself as unequivocally in
favor of Avondale, and said that he
would advocate holding the shoot here.
Such a shoot would cost about $4,000.
The state would probably not can
upon Mayor Myers TO pay the differ
ence in the cost of transportation as
between Macon and Savannah, as their
decision to hold the shoot here would
mean that they recognized that the ad-
vantages afforded by the range out
weighed the disadvantage of adj
ditional transportation.
Grateful for Cooperation.
The military also express themselves
as deeply grateful to the Mayor and
Council and the members of the trade
bodies who interested themselves in
the matter The amount of good done
by them and the impression which they
created on the Governor was most APP
parent, the Governor expressing him
self as delighted to note the interest
taken in military matters by all classes