The San Francisco call., 1908-03-09
GUARD BRIGADES
MAY BE MERGED
New Law Projected Which Will
Reduce States Two Organ
iZatiOns to One

There is a possibility that at the next
session OF the state legislature there
viii be shakeup Of the national guard
brigades. At present there are two
brigades with a brigadier general in
command Of each. with all the attend
ant staff officers. and only three regi-
ments and few other organizations
In the first brigade there are the signal
corps, troops c and D Of the first
squadron Of cavalry and the Seventh
infantry. IN the second are the second
company Of the signal corps the head
quarters and troop B Of the first squad
ron Of cavalry and the Second and Fifth
infantry.
II plans now taking shape are car
ried through the law Will be that each
brigade shall be composed Of not less
than three regiments. AS IL is now
there is one brigade with only one reg
iment and another with but two Tn
less they can recruit IL is likely that
there win be only one brigade in Cal
ifornia year hence.
This prospect raises the question,
Who win be knocked out2 Wankowski
OF the first or Roster Of the second
brigade2 And the wiseacres OF the
guard are speculating on the answer.
The proposition Of making commits
stoned officers above the grade OF sec
ond lieutenant OF company permanent
officers during physical ability aud good
behavior received a setback last week.
Those who favor the idea say that there
VIII be no difficulty in having the cap
tain and first lieutenant of a company
hold Office without reelection but
others assert that a commissioned OFF,
Ger Of the national guard is a state
officer, and that under the constitution
Of the state they come within the fol-
lowing provision: When the term Of
vided for IN this constitution the term
OF such officer or commissioner may
be declared by law; and if not so de-
clared, such officer or commissioner
shall hold his position as such during
the pleasure OF the authority making
the appointment: but in no case shall
such term exceed four years.
This is a question that the board on
the revision OF the national guard laws,
which is soon to convene, viii have to
struggle with. The project viii hinge
upon the construction placed on the
word officer" as used in the section
quoted
Complaint is made that the acouter-
ments for the men OF the guard are
not distributed simultaneously. but are
being parceled out in dribs and drabs."
Some OF the companies in this city
have been furnished with the bands
fer dress caps. but have not received
the dress belts. Some Of the compa-
MES have received the new army rife
and others have not The same hap
hazard method rules the distribution
Of blankets and ponchos.
ELECTIONS NEXT
An election will be held in Sacra-
mento Sunday, March 2s, TO select q
successor TO Colonel Henry ]. Seymour
7e,~ ~ "a
whose term viii expire April 1. Major
< W Kay Of the first squadron OF
cavalry has been detailed TO preside
at the election
Colonel Seymour has announced that
81 ne IS offered the position he will
stand for the election In view of this
announcement there will be no oppo-
sition. Had Colonel Seymour not made
this announcement Major Lon Bond OF
Chico would have been a candidate fol
the place
There soon will be an election fol
two majors in the second infantry tc
succeed John Zittinger of the First bat
TALON and Lon Bond Of the Second
Major Zittinger will be a candidate 70,
reelection, and it is said that he will
be opposed by Captain Frank Canon OF
Company Z Of Sacramento. AS yet
no one has been spoken of as an oppo-
nent to Major Bond, who wants TO con-
tinue in the position he now holds
In this regiment officers vote for the
candidate for the major of a battalion
who receives the majority of the vote,
OF the battalion officers II that hold:
good this year, it is almost certain thai
Major Zittinger will succeed himself
as viii Major Bond.
Sharles A. Swisler. major of the Third
battalion Of the Second infantry. holds
over until next year. It is said thai
he viii not be a candidate for re-
election.
TO EXAMINE OFFICERS
First Lieutenant Elect Mallet and
Second Lieutenant Elect de Wolff of the
Fifth infantry viii appear before this
examining board 70 undergo an exami-
nation as TO qualifications today. Eacl
viii spend an evening undergoing ar
oral examination, and the following
night each Will have to handle a com.
pany 70 demonstrate his ability il
tactics.
Colonel Wilhelm. state inspector, has
nearly completed his muster and in.
spection OF the guard. He will be with
the troop in Salinas March H. The fol.
lowing night he viii inspect Compans
+ Of san Jose and the night after thai
Company 1 AT Livermore- He will close
by inspecting the company at Woodland
The California State Rife association
held a meeting Sunday in Sacramento O