Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-10-21
MILITARY TEAM WORK.
Inquiry as to Why S. c. N. G. Makes
Such Poor Showing.

Such Poor Showing.
Interest in military rifle shooting,
in which he has taken active part
during the past for many years,
prompts Mr.. Hampton to write the
letter in The State this morning, in
which he outlines the causes, as he
sees them, for the poor part played
by South Carolina in the national
rifle contests.
There are as good natural rifiemen
in South Carolina as in any other
state Perhaps there are naturally
better shots than in the northern
states because relatively more Of our
men are accustomed to handle fire.
arms from boyhood. Yet South Caro-
lima is with the tailenders at the ma
tional shoots and has made no ad-
vancement during years Of expe-
rience.
Fine military rifle shooting Is a
science. To come anywhere around
the expert class of the present day it
is necessary to possess not only nat
ural qualifications but to thoroughly
understand the science of the game,
including the effects Of wind. temper
ature and light The rifleman must
not only be a good shot under all
conditions, but must have confidence
in his ability. He must know. A
very few riflemen can train them
selves; the vast majority must have
expert training. Members Of the
South Carolina team have been with
out that training. 1t should be given
them.
With $500 a year to be devoted
to promoting rifle practice there
should be rifle ranges in various parts
of the state To become a good rifle
man frequent practice Is necessary
after the shooter has all the theoret-
cal knowledge needed. If the eighty
five hundred dollars a year had been
inteligently and economically ex-
pended conditions would be different.
Complaint is made that the $500
a year is not enough to build ranges
and prepare a good team for Camp
Perry. But that Is $4,000 in four
years and, as Mr.. Hampton asks,
where are the rifle ranges? What
has been spent on them?
Where are the leaks? We do not
know, but The State is informed that
it has been the custom Of Brigadier
General Boyd, Colonel Brock and
Lieutenant Colonel Lindsay paymas-
ter, to accompany the team to Camp
Perry, travelling at the governments
expense, Pullman cars included, and
drawing pay for rank. The pay OF
brigadier general, u. S. A, Is $16.67
day; colonel, Sill day; lieuten-
ant colonel. 1912 a day. If the pay
Gf those officers was as reported to
The State, the aggregate for sixteen
days at Camp Perry, Ohio, aside from
railroad expenses, was $500 a year.
That would go a long way toward
building a battalion rifle range. was
it drawn out of the rifle practice
fund?
Meantime, the private and the non
commissioned officer who leave their
business to do the real work at the
ranges are getting from fifty cents to
a dollar a day. Have these or any
other officers, not engaged in the rifle
contests, attended rifle shoots in this
state and drawn pay for rank? We
ask for information.
If the men who shoot are to get a
square deal by having proper practice
and efficient instruction, so they may
take creditable rank for themselves
and for South Carolina at the ma
tional rifle matches, there will have
to be a radical change in the plan of
expending the money given by this
government for this purpose.-Colum-
bia State.