The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-05
Kansas Will Spend $4,000 in
Their Construction.
Allowance for This Purpose
Made by Uncle Sam.
4 FOR EACH COMPANY.
That is Plan Proposed TO
Adjutant General.
About Five Hundred Dollars
Cost of Single One.

Ten thousand dollars of government
money will, by consent of the war de-
partment, be expended by Adjutant
General J. w. f. Hughes in the con-
struction of rifle ranges for the Nation
al Guard of Kansas.
This will be good news for the mem
bers of the guard, for 1t means that
about $500 will be available for each
company, and that with this money it
| will be possible to secure regulation
| army targets and construct a substan-
tial butt to stop the bullets. The gov
| eminent requires that these rifle ranges
be constructed on ground upon which
long time lease can be secured, so
that the expense of fixing the range
will not be lost
Up to the present time the Kansas
National Guard marksmen have had to
do their practising on improvised
ranges, fixed up without much expense
The $4,000 which the government has
allowed the state to use For construct
ing ranges will make it possible for
each company in the state to have a
safe and suitable range.
General James Drain, president of
the American Rife association and edi-
tor of marksman's paper called
Arms and the Man was in Topeka
yesterday, and while here General
Hughes consulted with him concerning
the best method of constructing the
ranges. General Drain strongly urged
the advisability of giving a range for
each company in the state rather than
by concentrating the money in the con-
struction of two or three more elaborate
ranges.
1.-The thing that makes marksmen,"
said General Drain, lis constant prac-
tise. I believe that each company of
the guard should be provided with ia
cilities for shooting at an indoor range
with a rife corresponding in all re-
spects to the military rife, except that
it shoots % caliber cartridges. Every
man should be required to qualify as
shooter Of some ability before being
allowed to go out on the outdoor rifle
range, and shoot the regular military
ammunition. 1t is a waste Of ammuni-
ton for the soldier to shoot with the
caliber 80 ammunition at the start"
The money available for work in Kan
sas will not be sufficient to build differ
ent pits for different ranges, but one
pit will be constructed and the firing
line established at the different ranges
1t is believed that by having a rifle
range at each town where there is
company of the guard, there will be
great interest developed in proficiency
with the rifle.
To still further encourage the de-
velopment of rife shooting in the state,
the State Rifle association, for civilian
marksman, has been organized. Mem
bership in the State Rifle association
gives the civilian rifle teams the right
to shoot on the National Guard ranges,
and to buy government rifles and gov
eminent ammunition at cost.
Apparently the government is doing
everything in it's power to encourage
rifle practise amonfg the people of the
country, and get as many citizens as
possible accustomed to handling mill
itary rifle. The object of this policy,
of course, is to increase the military
efficiency of the country in case it
should be necessary to call upon the
country for war.