Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-19
NATIONAL GUARD Bill
HASBR|}H1 PROSPECT
PEPPERS COMPENSATION MEAS.
uRE CERTAIN TO GO THRU
HOUSE.
WOULD TRANSFORM MILITIA
INTO REGULAR ARMY RESERVE
state Guard Companies Would Be Put
on More Efficient Basis - Bill il
Passed Will Entail Expenditure Of
Several Millions Of Dollars Annually
War Department Favors.
lsnec,al correspondencel

tSpSCial correspondence!
Washington. Jan. 19.-Prospects are
growing brighter for the enactment by
congress of that legislation which is 50
: strongly desired by the national
! guardsmen of the United States, the
! federal pay bill. For several years the
national guard has been urging such
legislation and working for it. Now
it has reached point where the house
committee on military affairs is about
ready to report favorably the Pepper
bill, introduced by MI Pepper, of Iowa
which provides for system Of federal
pay for the organized militia and
which meets the wishes Of the national
guard. At the same time, it Is desired
by the war department.
A large majority of the house COM
mittee on military affairs is for the
Pepper bill. 1t will not be immediately
reported out. inasmuch as the com
mittee has the army appropriation Dill
before it. It has been ascertained, how
ever, that the sentiment in the COM
mittee is about three to one for the
bill.
| Will Amount to Millions.
The cost Of the federal pay which II
| is proposed to give to those guard or
ganizat tons that come up to required
! standard will be about $4,000,0O0 for
the first year and later will mount up
to about 100000. The democrats OF
|. the house are averse tc spending
money too freely this session, In spite
Of the fact they passed liberal pen
sion bill. For that reason. the bill vii!
come out Of committee with an au-
thorization instead Of an appropriation
On the strength Of the authorization
the actual appropriation OF money Will
not begin until the next session after
the bill is passed. The war department
has advised the committee that it will
take about a year to get ready to put
| the proposed law into effect and to get
/ the neceaeary machinery organized
Therefore, it is pointed out by those
anxious for the legislation. that there
is no objection to delaying the actual
appropriation Of money for year
A canvass Of the situation by the
| friends Of the bill =discloses that 1t VIII
probably pass the house and that the
| outlook for II is also good in the senate
The difficulties Of getting 1t thru the
senate. however, will be greater than
those in the house.
Would Create Army Reserve.
| Advocates OF the bill take the posi-
! ton that the operation OF such law
/ as proposed will be not only to enhance
the efficiency Of the national guard
but to make 1t in all respects fit for a
reserve Of the regular army. or sec
| ond line OF defense. At the same time
| II is urged that 1t will tend to make II
unnecessary to maintain large stand
ing army. One Of the chief troubles ir
keeping UP guard organizations IS &c
get the men out to drill one night
week or even less often than that. Tn
der the federal pay system. small
sum would be paid regularly the mem
i bers Of guard organizations who at
tanned a certain percentage Of attend
ance at drills