The Topeka state journal., 1905-12-09
WIPES TIE SLATE.
Kansas Military Branch For
given by Uncle Sam.
Seven Thousand Dollar Deflcien-
cy Charged OF.
SOON GET SUPPLIES.
For Six Months State Has Been
on Black List.
Nay Get Some Small Calfber
Target Rifles.
DON GET SUPPLIES.

Governor Hoch has received from the
ordnance officer Of the war department
a notification that the Kansas report
and explanation Of shortages in ord
nance supplies has been approved with
the exception Of a few minor items con-
cerning which Adiutant General Hughes
is now collecting information for a
brief additional report.
This means that the United States
government has decided TO wipe the
slate clean Of the 1000 deficiency which
occurred in the Kansas National guard
accounts, due to the lax methods Of
bookkeeping and reports of the quarter
master during S. II. Kelsey's term of
Office as adjutant general. It Is ex-
pected that within a short time the state
can again begin to draw supplies from
the government for equiping the Kan
sas National guard. It has been six
months since the state has been allowed
to draw on the government for aNsy mill
tary equipment and the shortage is be-
ginning to be felt.
When Adjutant General Hughes was
notified by the war department that the
government would honor no more re-
quests for supplies until the shortage
was accounted for and missing repOPts
fled, he set Quartermaster General
Denison to work collecting the missing
statistics It was necessary for Mr..
Denison and his assistant, Mr. Conley,
to make a personal visit to every com
pany headquarters in the state and in
voice all the supplies of every charac-
ter on hand. In this way the depart
ment was able to start in flesh and
ascertain exactly the amount Of the
shortage. Affidavits were then secured
from officers Of the guard to account
for the missing supplies, There was no
charge OF any crookedness or nllsappro-
priation on the part Of previous ad-
ministrations; the only trouble was tnat
| the necessary reports had not been sent
to the war department as the supplies
were used up and dropped from the lists
They simply went as goods unaccount-
ed for and the government demanded
an accounting.
The report prepared by Quartermas-
ter General Denison was in two partsi
one relating to quartermaster supplles,
and one to ordnance supplies Tne
ouartermaster bureau of the war de-
partment seemed to be aole 10 gssI
| quicker action on itself that the ord
nance bureau, for the quartermasler
report was approved several months
/ ago. The officers of the guard and aov-
ennpr F1oeh have been waiting ssh
some anxiety for tae report on eso-
nance supplies for the Kansas 4et1an-
All Guard would be Ia 8ad shape # II
/ was unable to obtain ammunition Tor
I target practice, guns SWQEOSs tSs0A-
/ vers or other ordnance equipment.
Military Board VIII Meet.
The meeting of the state military
/ board has been called for December TO-
At that time the board VIII take up
I the question of the ordering OF new
4 supplies for the guard
One Of the important matters to be
/ decided is whether or not the guard
shall purc rchase enough 22-caliber rifles
/ to give each company in the guard one
rife for indoor target practice. The use
of % rifles for military target practice
| is becoming quite common. The rifles
/ used are exactly like the Krag in de-
sign and weight, with the exception OF
the size Of cartridge used. The states
Of Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Arkansas
and Ohio have purchased 22-caliber r1r-
! les within the past six months.
Not only are these rifles useful to
/ the guard for indoor target practice at
/ short ranges during the winter, but in
! the summer they can be effectively
used at ranges to 200 yards by using q
/ long cartridges. The advantage in US
/ ing the small caliber guns is the great
/ saving in the cost of ammunition
/ While the ammunition for the regula-
! ton Krag rifle costs $50 per 1000 rounds,
ammunition for the small caliber rifles
can be obtained at $2.25 for shorts and
I 81. 50 for longs. The state is thus able
/ to save a large sum on its ammunition
| bi11s