Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-12-13
MARK ANSH|P IS
RECOGNIZED BY )
UNCLE SAM
Fourteen thousand Soldiers
Drawing Increased Pay as
Result of Proficiency With
the Rifle; Report Of General
AinSWorth,


iNiiuu"' '"Ilpfl ~ tHf AuJutdut beiSi-
al of the Army. General T.. c. Aims
worth, dcvotes some space to small
arms firing. He states that continued
improvement is shown in rifle firing
by the increase in the number of quail
ifications in the higher grades OF
Workmanship. He cites the practice
season 1905, during which 2379 ex-
pert riflemen, 1907 sh%arpshooters
and 4204 marksmcn qualified, as
against 1881 expert riflemen. 5555
sharpshooters and 4l2S marksmen in
ls0T. This means a great deal to the
army us under the regulations as
amended February 3, 1909, enlisted
men qualifying as expert riflemen,
sh%arpshooters and marksmen are on
titied to additional pay of IS, SO and
s. "A month, respectively from date
of qualification to the end of the en-
listment in which they qualify. pro-
Nided that during that time they do
not attain a higher classification and
that they contiue to be members of
an organization armed with the rifle
or are transferred for the convenience
Of the government TO some organiza-
ton not so armed"
From the above it is seen that the
government is giving substantial rec
ognition To Workmanship in the reg
ular army. The regular army at pres
ent consists Of 1900 men, many of
whom, of course, are not armed with
the rifle and therefore cannot draw
the increased pay There are 1890
men in the table quoted who are
drawing increased pay as the result
of proficiency with the rifle. The to-
tai amount received by them in the
course OF a year is $524.6SS or $43,-
124 per month. OF this $t1,S95 goes
to the 2370 experts; $23,421 is paid
to the S7S0S sharpshooters while the
4204 marksmen receive $S,40S per
month. all in addition to the regular
army pay. Taking the army at 1900
men, more than the 20 per cent Of the
enlisted strength is receiving addit-
ional compensation Tor excellence In
Workmanship.
During 1905 the troops in the de-
partment of the east and the depart
ment of the gulf poined ia what was
ment of the gulf joined in what was
which were held at Fort Niagara, ~.
Y; those in the departments of the
PfAfaR'aN - 49, "a pa -
ipated in the northern competitions
at Fort sheridan, Illinois; on the Pa
cific Coast the departments of Cali
fornia and Columbia held their com
petitions at Monterey. California, and
the departments Of Colorado and of
Texas combined in the southwestefn
competitions held at Leon Springs,
Texas. After the department com
petitions, the army competitions were
held at Fort sheridan as the result
of which the army rifle team for the
National Trophy match was selected
This team was defeated by the t.. s
Navy team by 40 points, the navy
making $50 and the army infantry
team 1852.
In the division competitions medals
were awarded to Il considerable num-
Der of competitors. including t13 en-
listed men and Is commissioned Off
GERS for proficiency with the rifle and
rs enlisted men and SO commissioned
for proficiency with the pistol, Alto
gether the number Of competitors in
the army competitions We're MS fol-
lows; rifle 5S5 enlisted men. 81 COM
missioned officers and 90 distinguish
ed %marksmen; pistol. 2S3 enlisted men
10 commissioned officers and 2S dis
tinguished pistol shots.
n small arms firing regulations
have been revised and published as
The Provisional Small Arms Firing
Manual This manual is to take ef-
feet January /, 1910 and is to super
the present small arms firing
regulations.
In his annual eport. Col. Hugh T..
Scott, L. :. A.. Superintendent Of the
L. :. Military Academy at West Point,
ia kes exceptions to the criticisms |
which have been made beca use the
academy has not sent a team of ca
diets to the rifle matches while the
t.. :. Naval academy has been i'm owl |
dence constantly. Col. Scott saws that
in 1905 the experiment Of training "a
team OF cadcts for the national match
was made. That year the individual
figure of merit of the entire class in
Guiding its team of experts was only
The instruction of men not on
the team was reduced to a minimum
so that the maximum amount OF in
struction might be given TO the team
Consequently. he says. the cadets
needing the practice least had the
OF practicing most while those
needed the most practice got the
least. Al the same time y men on
the team. 10 find time To practice had
to neglect other important branches
of study 81 the academy authorities |
decided to abandon the team idea be-
cause IL violated the principal OF equal
instruction for all. Col. Scott states
the individual figure Of merit has
inceased from S7.43 in 1906 to 1902
Ia 1909. The present year was marked |
by the best figure OF merit ever re-
corded at West Point.
CoL Scott says that the military !
academy will be only too glad To ar
range for a contest in Workmanship
with the naval academy. the teams
representing the two Institutions
shooting one year at West Point and
the following year AT Annapolis. the
teams To- De chosen by drawing lou
from The first class Of marksmen at
academy. This plan. he says.
would make every cadet ia the class
a candidate for the team and would
away with The Objectionable and
defective urscticr Of training a few
al the expense az the many.
The annual meeting 81 the Board
af Directors Of the National Rifle A.