The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-27
EXP ENSE FIGURES
IN OPP OSITIOH
Peppers Plan to Increase Pay
OF National Guard Stub
bornly Opposed.
FIRST COST s4,ooo,ooo
Hay Measure May Go Through,
but Faces Hard
Fight.
COST 100000
Especial to The mes-Dispatch.

Along with the Hay" bill, which Will
be presented to the House for CON
slderation soon after the holidays end,
will come the Pepper" bill, the latter
providing for better pay for the or
sanized militia of the United States.
The first named bin. introduced and
fathercd by Congressman James Hay.
of Virginia, is being stubbornly on
posed because. among other reasons, il
would cause 1000 men either to enlist
or be thrown out of employment, and
ct the same time cause a consolidation
OF the commissary, the quartermaster's
and the paymaster's departments. In
the army, which by many persons is
not at all favored.
Supporters Confident
The Pepper" bill. like the Hay
bill. was introduced at the last ses-
sion OF Congress by Representative
Pepper. of Iowa. The supporters OF
the measure arc snnguinc, while it's
opponents are Just as certain that they
viii be able to administer to IL an
effective dose of congressional pigeon
hole treatment, which makes death
slow, but certain.
This bill for Federal pay to tho na-
tonal guard or organized militia Is
intended to allow guardsmen a small
sum for attending drills and devoting
their time to the work OF the guard
The total cost to the country at tho
outset would be, II is estimated, about
$4,0oo,oo0. This would increase con-
siderably later on, depending upon tho
degree of efficiency of the national
guard end upon the extent to which
the guardsmen would attend stated
drills. Under present conditions 1t Is
found almost impossible TO get the
mon to attend the drills, and the re-
suit of such a condition is that each
year when inspections are made many
unsatisfactory reports are turned III
to the higher authorities
Up to the present time no particular
interest has been shown In this bill
by Southern troops. but since the pres
ent session began many letters have
been received by members Of the
House from that section urging them
to use their best efforts in favor of
the measure. There are number OF
representatives from the Southern
States. however. who are opposed to
the bill. and say that they will not
support 1t. One reason why 1t will
meet with opposition now ia that since
the passage by the House Of the sher-
wood dollar-a-day pension bill the
heads OF the various committees
which handle the money bills have
cSSAi lnoiT ncaQS and won
dering how they arc to get their reg
ular budgets through as they are, to
say nothing of extra bills like that
proposed by the Iowa Congressman.
They say that with S75.o0o.000 going
out of the Federal Treasury at ono
time for the pension bill, and with a
S4o.ooo.ooo public building bill and one
amounting TO s3o.oo0.o0o for waterway
development on tho skld5, that serious
consideration should be given before
still further draining the public tills
They say also that inasmuch rs the
national guard is already costing the
people OF the United States an even
S6.000.o00 every year, that 1t would
be unwise perhaps to add another s4,-
100000 to begin with. making a round
100000 very twelve months for this
work alone.
Congressman Hay, through whose
hands both his own bill and that Of
Representative Pepper must pass be-
fore they can be brought before the
House. Will be q central figure here
utter the holidays end. Tho national
guardsmen will follow his efforts to
pass the two measures which would
mean much to both the regular ana
state troops. The Hay" bill may, pass,
but the chances seem slim for that
Oh MT. Pepper. P. H. MEG.