Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-05


erty aggregating 100000 in value is now
| kept in wooden storehouses on the camp
ground and in u small ry-and-a-half
| house i'm the rear of the State House
buildings which have been repeatedly con
| demned by United States inspecting ofil-
GERS. Previous recommendations for an
| annual appropriation Of Sl0,0D0 to make a
| start in state armuty construction are re-
| newcd. The paymaster generals report
| shows that the department has lived
| within its income during 1872 and it is
stated that very few claims remain ou,-
| standing, the office being financially up
to-date. Ii is further stated that the ac-
| counts of the office for 1911 and 1912 were
| examined in December by an expert ac-
| countant from the State auditors office.
who checked all disbursements and veri-
| fed the bank balance.
The report covers in detail the work in
| the several correspondence schools con-
Quoted by officers of the Regular Army
and highly praises the services of Lieut..
| Edwin Butcher, Inf, L. S A.. and Major
NJ. 6. Spiuks, c. ~ G., l. $. ~
Praise for Camp of instruction.
The Adiutant General praises the camp
held in September. stating that the
change to actual camp conditions iusti-
| tied itself from every viewpoint. He
states that probably a new course of
small arms qualification will be pre-
seribed for 1919, course designed to
tain men for quick, accurate work with
in the ranges that infantry fire is most
likely to be used IN combat He eX-
presses the belief that the course will
stimulate interest in range work and lead
to more practical military shooting.
Mention is made Of the International Rifle
Tournament to be held at Camp Perry in
August. 1913, and the hope is expressed
that funds will be available to permit a
team to represent the State of Maine.
Re Seeding State Campground
Inc report states that approximately 30
acres of the state campsround at Augusta
we're re-seeded with clover and timothy
during the summer and that it is planned
t. continue the work Of re-seeding until
the entire campground is Yielding "a fun
crop of hay. 1t is planned to swing the
the of the mess and cook houses so that
they will back on tie Winthrop stree.
size OF the campground making available
Il wide strip of land imperatively needed
in establishing camp in accordance with
field service regulations The lack of
storage facilities is further emphasized
by the statement that at the present time
over $1,000 worth of army escort wagons
are stored in these old mess houses. no
other storage facilities being available
and for the same reason it is necessary
to utilize one of these houses as work
h4 In 5.f
Reference is made to the fact that the
eampground was inspected and approved
in the fall by Major General Thomas II
Barry I. :. ~, as a mobilization camp
for war purposes
The Adiutant General states that con-
ditions regarding care and accountability
for public property have shown steady
Improvement and that all property issued
by the Federal government for the Ma
tional Guard of Maine can be accounted
for in a satisfactory manner at any time
Mention is made Of much new field
equipment secured during the year and
1t is stated that in general all organiza-
tons are completely uniformed. armed
and equipped for field service with the
exception of marchirg shoes, which it is
deemed practicabte-tU issue.
Armories
General Dill makes special reference
to the necessity for better armory accom-
modations saying:
There has been little change in the
armory situation and can be 40 great i'm
provement till tine State naugurates a
program of armory construction which
will furnish adequate accommodations for
at least two companies each year | have
| repeatedly recommended start IN this
direction, but no legislature has seen fit
10 encourage the movement. Local en-
terprises may produce an occasional ar
mory for some organization but suitable
arnories will continue to be the excep-
ton till the State sees fit to properly
house its troops.
Continued neglect of the armory aues-
ton places Names National Guard at
disadvantage in many ways Particular
" is this true in regard to the Coast Ar
tillery troops. The Federal government
stands ready to equip the coast artillery
armories with dummy armament at a cost
OF approximately $50. 900 but quite prop
erly refuses to do so till the companies
are housed in suitable, permanent homes
given over by competent authority teither
state OF muhlclpdt 10 exclusive military
control The plans for this dummy arma-
ment have been made and the army APP
preparation bill now before Congress car
ries an item of approximately $4,000 for
such installation in the Portland armory.
Every city aad town which has COM
pany of coast artillery will get its dummy
armament when its company has exclu.
sive control of proper armory
''The Armory Commission has done
what it could to secure better aeeommo-
dations within the financial limits fixed
by the Military Law, but as stated in the
beginning no substantial improvement is
to be expected until the State inaugurates
progressive program of armory con-
Structon.'
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