The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-11
GOV. O'NEAL GIVES STATUS
 OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT

Former Gov Emmet O'Neal has writ ten the following in explanation of the military equipment situation in Ala bama, regarding which there has been considerable discussion during the past few weeks:
 "The evening Ledger of May con tains an editorial which in effect charges that my administration was re- sponsible for an alleged disappearance of $1o0,oo0 worth of military equipment belonging to the United States govern ment. and which had been placed in the custody of the Alabama National Guard; situation, which the Ledger declares, is humiliating to the citizens of the state. Although this. as we'll as every other charge and rumor which malice and falsehood had suggested, were presented by the probe committee and answered by me even to the satis- faction of unfriendly critics. the Ledger is dissatisfied and has seen proper to renew the attack on my administration. The statements which it now makes, however, are so unfair, misleading and unfounded that I cannot permit them to go unchallenged.
 Commencing in 1898 the United States war department charged the state of Alabama with all government property on hand at that time and which was furnished to the state of Alabama each succeeding year down to the year 1911. Although a large part of this property consisted of clothing and equipment which had been worn out and had become unserviceable through | usual wear and tare no credits were entered upon the states account Dur ing each of the years mentioned there was issued to the state of Alabama by the federal government property Amounting to about S25,000 per year. There is a method provided by tho United States government by which a state can obtain credit for property de : stroyed by fire, lost by unavoidable ac- cident or worn out by service and use. This method is known as a survey pro- ceedirg A survey proceeding is a method we'll defined by the federal laws. It is commenced by making application to the governor of a state for survey officer, who prepares the necessary pa pers and secures the necessary evidence for presenting to the war department the facts in reference to the property l lost or destroyed. Upon consideration of these proceedings, if the evidence is satisfactory, the government will au- thorize the state to take credit and | drop from their accounts the amount of property shown in the survey proceed ings. The other method is known as a | clothing dropping allowance. The gov | ernment estimates that every enlisted man will wear out sS.SS of equipment per year. and hence upon application will give the state credit for that | amount of equipment.
 No Survey Proceedings Unfortunately prior to my adminis- t~r% f<>. T.. ings or clothing dropping allowance ap- proved by the federal government In 1898 when volunteers were called for | in the Spanish American war, each company or organization upon leaving l their counties carried with them all mill itary equipment in their possession to the point of rendezvous or mobilization
 camp. This property amounted to over $100,000. When I assumed office in 1911 it was discovered that this $100, 1000 and over of military equipment which had
 been turned over to the United States government in 1898 was still charged
 to the state of Alabama; no receipts having apparently been taken on the delivery of the property to the United States government, or If taken had never been turned over to the United States government for proper credit Owing therefore, to the failure of previous ad- | tTdtlOnS tO secure CTeulL OH tHt military equipment charged to the state
 by proper surveys and clothing drop. ping allowances, when I entered office all the equipment and clothing of every kind and character which had beer turned over to the federal government during the Spanish American wal amounted to over $100,000, as well as the property delivered to the state dur. ing the intervening years down to 1911 l <l, t,r Ol< <,f h, federal government against the state oi
 Alabama without single credit Ac. cording to information which I re- ceived from Major T. c. Locke, clerk O. l the the adJutant generals department the shortage in government property a the time I assumed charge of the of flee was estimated to amount to prac
 tically s300.o00 During my administra' tion credit was obtained by proper sur lveys from the government for propert, lost by previous administrations of ovel SITS, 1000, leaving the shortage up to 1911
 about $s6000, at which it practically now remains.
 Letter From Major Locke
 Immediately upon reading the edi. torial in the Ledger I wrote to Maj. T IC Locke, assistant adjutant general and who has been for the past two year and a half. clerk in the adjutant gen erals department, and his reply to ms letter is as follows
 Montgomery May 6, 1915.
 j" Hon. Emmett O'Neal, Birmingham:
 Dear Governor: Replying to yours ol 1 the 4th in regard to property shortage
 I take great pleasure in giving you tht
 following information:
 "'As far as giving you the accura1s | figures of property shortage when yot went into office this would be absolutely | impossible, due to the fact that there
 was no systematic record kept during thu
 previous administration, and the only thing that could be found was penci memorandums made in the different ros
 ters and on pencil note pads, stubs ol books. etc.
 Shortly after General Scully tool
 charge of the adjutant generals office ar
 effort was made to ascertain the short age of the state, and as near as could Dt
 estimated same amounted to practical! |, $3Oo00o.
 "'At the close of your administration
 the shortage had been reduced to practi
 cally 5000 showing that you had re lieved the state of at least $10O000 of thi I-h~