The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-21
NetV State Law Operates to AdUantage OF
State Militia; Pay for Drill
Attendance

not only to greater efficiency and ia
cility in the performance Of the work,
but also making it far more interest
ing
Outside of the officers and non-com
mlssloned officers, the duties of the
members of the guard can all be per
formed in one night each week in one
and half hours, and these duties do
not consist of n monotouous repetition
of the manual Of arms and squads right
and left, but comprise instruction not
only IN tactics but in other military
matters
War Department Keenly Alive.
The war department is seemingly
using every effort that circumstan nces
VIII permit TO create intelligent. eff
Gent soldiers out of members of the
guard. 1t provides for the holding of
schools for officers of infantry, artil-
lery, cavalry and signal corps. Last
year two officers of the battery at
tended the artillery school at Fort
Riley, Kan, and two officers of the
signal corps the school at Fort Leaven-
worth, and tins year seven officers Of
the guard have spent two weeks each
with the regular army at San Diego,
Cal, OF San Antonio Tex.
Every encouragement and facility is
afforded every man for rifle practice,
reasonable amount Of ammunition is
furnished with transportation to and
from the range, and every man, re-
gardless of rank. has an opportunity
10 make a place on the state team which
is each year sent TO the national com.
petition at Camp Perry. O. Each state
is allowed team Of fifteen men and
three officers at tins competition, and
the regular forces Of the United States.
including the navy, six, so that the
number of teams present is about fifty
among which are the best rifle shots
in the world, and the participation in
one of these competitions is a pleasure
and an experience never to be forgot
ten The expenses necessarily incident
to attendance, as well as the per diem
of the soldier participating, are paid.
Range at Fort Douglas.
The national guard range for Salt
Lake City in former yenrs has been on
the Salt Lake & Ogden railway. about
six miles north Of the city. A short
time ago the war department granted
the state the right to use portion Of
the old range on the Fort Douglas res
ervation Bids for rebuilding this
range have been taken during the last
few days, and about the first Of the
week construction will begin, It is de.
signed to put in cement butts and tele-
phone communication therefrom to each
of the firing points, and put the range
in the best shape for comfort and con"
venience that the funds available will
permit Upon its completion no city
in the country will have more accessi-
BILE range or better conveniepces, A
man may leave his home in the city
and do two hours shooting and return
home in two hours and n hnlfstime, and
the guard authorities hope that these
extra facilities will very much stimu-
late the manly and highly interesting
art Of rifle shooting.
Recruit to Full Strength.
The organizations of the guard in
Salt Lake City are not now up to the
standard required by general orders
No, 5. To comply with that standard
reasonable permanency OF residence Of
members is required, IL is hoped, how.
ever, that they will not long remain so,
the proper strength from the class Of
men who will be interested not only
for the pay, but also for the sake OF
the work itself and the results in ex.
cellence that they can help to accom-
plish, and organization commanders
will be glad to meet such men on any
Monday or Tuesday night at the arm
ory.
Adiutant General f. A. Wedewood
was asked whether or not he expected
to take steps Immediately towards the
building of a new armory under the
law passed by the last legislature. He
stated that ho would be glad to under
take that as soon as practicable after
the Salt Lake companies were firmly
established upon permanent business
| basis as provided for in recent orders,
but he felt that the entire energies of
headquarters and the organizations Of
the guard should be devoted to that end
| before the work of the construction Of
an armory was undertaken.