Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-05
WO big National Guard bills
failed Of passage at the last mo

WO big National Guard bills
failed Of passage at the last mo
ment in Congress yesterday.
One was the militia pay BILL
which proposed to put every
national guardsman on the federal pay
roll. and the other was the bill which
would reorganize the naval militia pre-
cisely after the manner Of the reorgani-
cation of land forces following the enact
ment of the Dick bill.
Knocked down. dragged out and then
resuscitated. sprinkled with lavender wa
ter and massaged to fighting trim again,
the militia pay bill went through all the
near-knockout last week. Under the
two-thirds rule this popular measure
went down in the House for the count
| almost. Its hackers and seconds rushed
1t to the corner, made up legislative
prescription in the form of parliament
airy resolution-and 10! the first thing
Congress knew there was the National
Guards hope standing ready for another
bout
This time. it passed the Housed. But,
OH what an awful time it had! In the
words of the rookie who has not yet
learned camp talk, lit just got by" In
the Senate 1t did not make even a sound.
But it is only sleeping. 1t will be pre-
scented next session.
x
Every one knows-perhapss-that the
militia pay bill proposes to put every
! national guardsman on the pay roll of
Uncle Sam. 1t looks like a clear propo-
stion. but there is tremendous discus
sion on the merits of the question, and
lots of good men are on opposing sides.
For instance, right here in the District
National Guard there are officers who
claim that in the old days of independ-
1
paid dues, rather than received militia
pay. the National Guard was better.
snapper. a more representative organiza-
ton than it is at present.
On the other hand there is the man
who says:
there are 5000, 900 men in the United
States able to bear arms The total
strength of the militia is about 10000
men. That means that 10000 men are
doing the arnl-bearing for the 16,OOO,O1O.
Don't you think that 100000 ought to
privilege of having their country pro-
vided with the best substitute for
large and expensive standing army?''
The difference between the bill as it
passed the House and the bill as it was
reported in the Senate are serious enough
to carry the proposition to a lengthy
conference.
Section in these two bills are SO far
apart as to give the impression that they
are the flag ends of two entirely different
legislative measures. The Senate's sec
ton provides for longevity pay for
officers of the guard, exactly as the
regular army pay is regulated. The
of appropriating money. Nothing to do
with pay for officers. The Senate bill
decreases the rate of pay to company
commanders of all sorts, and regimental
| 4
cent instead of II per cent of the regular
pay. and for all other National Guard
officers the percentage is set at Per
cent. The Senate bill provides for -
men. basing the militia pay on the cor
responding grade of the regular army.
All this. be it remembered, in addition
to the allowance from the state fund,
the District of Columbia, in addition to
the pay appropriated by Congress for
the regular guard duty allowance.
K
After the first Touchdown under the
two-thirds rule in the House. the bin
some change. AS it passed. the pay for
enlisted men is not figured on a per
centage basis at all. but the bill says
their pay shall not exceed $4S a year
for maximum attendance on forty-eig!It
| drills OF equivalent military duty.
x
| Should this become a law, would it not
| please the enlisted men to draw S24 in
June and again just before Christmas?
| With an unusually large entry list and
a greater rivalry than ever before be-
| tween the 1st and "a Regiments, the
| twelfth annual indoor meet of the
National Guard Athletic Association, to
! be held next Friday, will be the best
meet ever held by that association, ac-
cording to those in charge. The closed
events for militiamen are proving especi-
| ally attractive to both officers and men.
| All entries will close tomorrow.
| First Sergt Weber and Sergt. Nc
| Mahon Of Battery r. Sd Field Artillery,
| L. s. Army, acted as volunteer instruc
tors in harness drill at the arinory of
| day night. Chief Mechanic Thrasher of
| Battery + talked things over with the
| gunners and there was merry mingling
of regulars and guardsmen. Sergts.
! Weber and Mcmahon kept squad of the
suardsmen busy folding horse blankets,
| fitting collars. Harvesting and unharness-
ing. making up rolls and packing equip
ment.
Blakeney and Trussell had their parts to
play: Sergts. McDermott and Peake with
detachments gave their gun bores great
baths of sal coda and hot water, Sergt.
Mohr will .ye and soda solution
| taking paint rom the dressed steel parts
Of his rifle and Sergt Friel was busy
with a recalcitrant fuse setter The cor
porals and those men who intend to
become corporals had their tasks, and
the gunroom of the battery looked like Il
machine shop working overtime.
Lieut.. Shilling took detachment to the
rifle gallery for pistol practice. Lieut..
Shilling and Corporal Simonds will re-
arrange the battery storeroom this week
and promise. to make it Il model for all
housekeepers.
The rooms of the officers and men have
been refurnished III Flemish oak.
Corporal Flynn entertained the visiting
regulars from Fort Myer at the Sign
of the Red Guidon.
The second indoor rifle match of Com
pany X. I'd Infantry, was held at the y.
NJ c. A. last Wednesday evening after
drill The scores made. by teams, are
| follows: oergt. Maupin'S team Is men
iring), 173; Corp. Martins team q men
| tiring), 1871: Corp. Starks team "a men
| fjring). 50: Sergt. Hutterly's team a men
| ring), IS.
These scores are added to those made
| n the previous match. making the stand
ng of the teams as follows: Corp. Starks
| cam. 3o4: Corp. Martins team. 300:
| -ergt. Maupin's team, 2S2. Sergt. Hut
| ,erlys team 236.
| These matches will continue until the
| Heights, when the team having the high
| st aggregate score VIII be presented
Nth a trophy.
| t>,c Io1 tao " MI ~.