Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-19
A PERMANENT CAMP
ANNUAL ENcAMPMENTs OF IOWA
NATIONAL GUARD TO BE
HELD IN DIES MONIES.
Guardsmen Will Probably Be Under
the Command Of the Ranking Officer
at Fl. Madison - Opinion Of Gen.
eral M. H. Byers.

Company G of this city and other
members of the Iowa National guard
will hereafter assemble annually at
Des Moines. The permanent camp
ground provided for by the legislature
In special appropriation will be To-
Gated near Fort Des Moines and for
twenty days year and possibly more,
the guardsmen will engage in maneu-
Vers at TINS camp ground, in all prob
aplilty under the command of the
ranking officer at Fort Des Moines.
General M. H. Byers, adjutant gen
eral of Iowa and commander of the
Iowa National Guard, is authority for
this statement. The legislature made
an appropriation of $4,000 with which
10 purchase and equip permanent
| camp ground. The only Limitation as
to the location is that it must be Cen
trally located" which is construed as
having special reference to accessible
lty. General Byers says that any site
other than Des Moines could be chosen,
and that Story county could probably
furnish a slightly more central point.
But 1t would not as accessible to trains
from southern, northeastern, south
| eastern and southwestern Iowa, as Des
Moines.
Receive Government Pay.
But the true reason assigned by Gen.
Byers for assuming that some site
near Fort Des Moines will be chosen,
is to be found in section is of the
Dick" bill which recently passed con-
gress. This bill provides that when
encampments of the national guard are
held at military post maintained by
the government, the guardsmen shall
receive the same pay, travel pay, sub
sistence and other allowances as are
allowed soldiers of the regular army,
and the government will pay the ex-
pense, provided the ranking officer Of
the military post is placed in command
of the encampment of militiamen.
In the opinion of General Byers that
means that all that is necessary is for
him to write the department command
er at Omaha whenever an Iowa en-
campment is to be held, request him to
assign the office in command at Ft. Des
Moines to take command of the en-
campment, and that Uncle Sam instead
| of Iowa will pay the freight" for the
Iowa encampment. careful study of
the Dick" bill confirms this version
and. if such is correct, there is ne. room
to doubt that the permanent camp
ground for Iowa will be located here
| instead of in Story county or any other
place. General Byers, as commander
of the National Guard, will gladly
waive his perogatives in favor of the
ranking officer at Ft. Des Moines, in
order to obtain the benefit of instruc-
| ton by the regular army officer, pos
| sible maneuvers with regulars, and,
above all, to save the state from the
expense Of attending the state en-
campments.
| Negotiating for Land.
| General Byers has been negotiating
with several land owners in the vicin-
| ity of the army post. Several farms
| have been found in close proximity to
the post. Within a mile or a mile and
half of the post south of it, are sew
eral tracts of 160 acres that can be OBJ
| tanned, but the owners demand 800 an
acre. General Byers is of the opinion
SITS or $50 an acre and will stand for
| that price.
| One reason for insisting on a close
price is the necessity of making the
100000 appropriation suffice for the
| erection of permanent buildings on the
| camp ground. Should 500 an acre be
| paid only $4,000 would remain with
which to erect the buildings. This
will not be enough. 1t is necessary to
erect substantial buildings for the
quartermaster's and commissary de-
partments, few stables, storehouses
| and various other buildings that will
| be essential when the annual encamp-
| ment is held.
Will Occupy Twenty Days.
| The encampment will occupy at least
twenty days and possibly longer. Each
regiment has heretofore been in camp
| ten days. 1t is planned by General By
ers to have two regiments assemble at
a time. The 100 acres specified in the
appropriation bill cannot accommodate
| a large force and enable them to ma
| Oo,1var nrOparlV Two repirroaptS could
meet at the same time, but it would be
| impossible to the have the four in
camp at once. If the regiments are
combined two encampments of ten
days each will be held.
Halla Cummins, Lena Prather, Godie
Trent, Wilma Allen and Edith Pepper