Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-25
NASH MAY
TAKE REQUEST
To STATE BODY
Military Men Believe Controversy
viii Be Transferred to Leg
isIature in June,
Continued From Page I.

to time may be provided by the laws,
rules and regulations for the Govern
ment Of the United States army, ana
such duties as may be designated by
the Governor.
Sec. 1863. QUARTERMASTER
GENERAL. The Quartermaster Cen
eral shall attend to the care, preser-
walton, safekeeping and repairing Oh
the arms. ordnance, accoutrements
and equipment, and ali other military
property belonging to the State or Is
sued to the State by the Government
of the United States, and shaH be
responsible therefor. He shall per-
form such duties as pertain TO the OF
fee Of Quarterlnaster General as
from time to time may be provided by
the laws. rules and regulations made
for the government of the United
States army and IS may be prescribed
by the Governor
THE suggestion contained in your
letter is that Circular S. referred to
in your letter, and issued by the
military authorities at Washington,
makes the office obsolete and renders
the rank of the Quartermaster Cen
eral excessive.
Assuming your construction to be
correct, the question therefore arises
whether | shall recognize said circu-
lar as multiplying The law of the State
of Georgia as embodied in the Code
of Georgia.
These Code sections declare there
shall be an Adjutant General and a
Quariermaster General each of whom
shall have the rank of Brigadier Gen
eral. l believe | have no authority by
order to abolish the office of Quar-
termaster General, nor to deprive him
of the rank of Brigadier General. and
regardless of what may be my indi-
vidual opinion, | was bound to obedi-
ence to the States law
Section 1858, in my judgment, only
allows the Governor to make such
regulations in detail as do not con-
fliet with the clearly expressed in
tention of the law. as contained in
sections 1851 63.
Quartermaster's Salary Adequate.
Regarding the statement in your
letter that the sum of $3.50 paid as
annual salary to the Quartermaster
General is unnecessary, my opinion Is
largely embodied in the previous por-
ton r this communication. For years
the salary of the Quartermaster Gen
er9l fas been approximately this sum.
My predecessors in office have deemed
such compensation appropriate to the
office of Brigadier General and befit-
ting the duties placed by statute upon
the Quartermaster General Possibly
they have been guided by the Legis-
lative judgment that the salary of the
Adjutant General who is also Briga-
der General. should be $4,000. Es-
pecially, in view of the early session
of the Legislature, / do not deem it
advisable to change the status that
has long existed
MY understanding Is that the ut
most penalty which could be visited
by the Federal military authorities
upon the State for not reducing the
rank of Quartermaster General to
that of Major, in accordance with cir
cular, would be refusal on the part
of the Government to allow compen-
sation to the Quartermaster General
in case of maneuvers.
Refers to Legislature.
IF the sum of S2.750 is uselessly
expended and could be appropriately
saved, such suggestion should appeal
no department should money be
wasted 1t is my understanding that
large proportion of the States which
have conformed to Circular have
done so by Legislative enactment.
ANY conflict with national authori-
ties should be avoided and all rea-
sonable efforts should be made to ac-
complish such harmony as will best
improve the department. The ques-
tons submitted by you may involve
principles of far-reaching effect.
think the declaration of policy,
whether the National Guard of Geor-
gia shall be a State or a national
force, and whether State control
shall be subordinate to national con-
troll, should be determined by the
Legislature rather than the Gov
ernCr.
Requested Office Retained.
Upon entering this office I notified
the present Quartermaster General
that | desired his continuance in Of
fee under the statute.
You will observe that | have dealt
with the questions contained in your
communication solely upon the basis
OF the law as | construed it The re-