Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-12-30
THE GUARD.
Annual Report Of the
Inspector General.
Praise tor the Good Work Done
at Manassas.
Recommendation That Line Officers se
Chosen by Governor.

The annual report of Brigadier Gem
eral +. l.. Hoyt. inspector general has
been published at the office of the .,d
ju:ant general. under the heading o:
General Orders No. %. The text is as
follows:
STATE OF MAINE
Inspector General Office.
Lewiston, Dec. 5th 1894.
Major General Augustus Il. Farnna,n.
Adjutant General.
Sir: / have the honor to submit nv
annual report of the condition OF th.
organized militia of the State known
as the National Guard of the State of
Maine. for the yeal ending December
3!st, 1904.
In accordance with the Militia Law
and General Orders No. 8. A. G. O.,
| c. s., have made a careful inspection
| OF each company and corps az its home
station. The special reports made at
| the time of each inspection and for
~lrGed to your Office will form a part
Of my report.
| I commenced my inspections on
| February 18th and Concluded them on
June 18th. 1 found the property of
the State and of the United States we'll
| cared for in almost every instance. The
exceptions were spoken of in my
| special reports to you at the time of the
| inspection.
The personnel of the Guard is about
the same as for the year 1903. There
| Is always room for improvement. We
have many hard working and pains
| taking officers who are trying to i'm
| prove their companies; we also have
officers CAPABLE of much better work
than they are doing.
l believe that changes might be
made in the Militia Law that would re-
suit in good for the service which is
very desirable; this is an age of i'm
provement and progression and it is
necessary to conform to the needs of
the hour.
The National Guard of the State Of
Maine at the present time consists of
two regiments of infantry of twelve
companies each, one ships company of
naval reserve composed Of two di-
visions, and one ambulance corps.
The strength of the different organi-
cations Of the Guard at the time OF
my inspection was as follows:
Staff of the conmander-in-chief. IL
| officers.
First Regiment Infantry. So officers.
$40 enlisted men.
Second Regiment Infantry. so officers.
413 enlisted men.
Ships Company Naval Reserve, .
officers, "a enlisted men.
Ambulance Corps, l officer, Is en-
listed men.
Signal Corps, officer. IS enlisted
men.
Two regimental bands, 45 enlisted
men.
Total strength at inspection. 12o
officers. 1921 enlisted men.
ANY company that falls below s5 per
, cent. in attendance at the annual IN
spection should be disbanded unless
good and sufficient reasons can be CIV
! en- for the abSenteeS.
II became necessary to diSband the
. signal corps, it having fallen INTO Il
low state of efficiency after the Drill
/ liant record made in '9S at San Juan
: Hill under the command OF Captain
. Butler This instance is only another
! proof of the fault of the elective sys-
) tenn. which should be done away with
and all line officers selected by compet-
their fitness for the place.
ARMORIES.
This very important feature of the
| organized militia does not seem to ap-
, Zeal to the average citizen who appears
Indifferent to the comfort OF the men
who are giving their time and strength
that Maine may have as good Ma
, tional Guard as any State in the Union.
hope the next legislature Will take up
the matter Of State armories and see
that every city and town where compa-
t MES are located is provided with
. suitable armory for its military COM
. panies Many of our companies have
a poor place to keep military property
and small assembly room but no
place in which to drill. These condi-
: tions keep many good men from enlist
ing, who, if in the service, would be Of
!. value to the State in many ways.
RIFLE RANGES.
Many of the companies do not have
ranges that are safe to shoot the U. 5.
= Magazine Rifle over. Portland. Bruns-
. wick, Lewiston and Norway have good
l safe ranges. The important work OF
8 rifle practice is in the hands Of an officer
who is much interested in the work
\ and I have no doubt he will see that
l everything is done to make the equip
e ment of each company safe and ensure
: good results in this very important
branch of a soldiers duties.
MATTER OF INSTRUCTION.
Company officers as a rule do not
e have their recruits. properly instructed.
. They are too apt to give recruit a
/. uniform, place a rifle in his hand and
/ | let him fall in with the company 70
+ drill before he has learned the manual
I of arms, the foot movements. the
: cadence. and all Of the details which
are SO essential.
have repeatedly advised the cap
: tains to have their non-commissioned
! officers instruct new men and have II
5 understood that they cannot tall in
I with the company until they have
E mastered the prelim .naries.
The sc up drill is of The utmost I'M
, portance; the officers should require
e the men to practice 1t. and insist that
el when the men enter the armory they
: | should have a soldierly bearing ana
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