The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-05-29
STATE TROOPS
WARMLY PRAISED
oov. or UTAH RIoIDLv lNsPEcTs
MICHIGAN coNsTA6uLARy AT
EAST LANSING.
HOME TROOPS HELD AS MODEL
Organization Of State constabularies
Serves to Keep Our industrial
Troubles to a Minimum.


Lansing. Mich.-Michigan's State
Constabulary, or az II is officially known
Michigan Permanent Troops, at their
East Lansing post, were rigidiy In
spected and warmly praised recently
by Simon Bamberger, governor OF the
state Of Utah.
Not only did the governor or the
Mormon state compare the Michigan
men to the Pennsylvania constabulary,
the pioneers in the field, but he also
commented at considerable length up
on the wisdom of the Michigan 9TH
cials in the establishment of the con-
stabulary some months ago
"If you hadn't organized such a
body of men" he put il, you I'M
doubtedly would have had lot or In
dustrial trouble in your industrial
cities and in the copper and iron
mining districts. And | am told you
have had practically none at ALL
After inspecting the barracks and
those OF the troops who were in East
Lansing, accompanied by Col. Roy c.
vandercook, Governor Bamberger dis
oussed In detail his ideas as to state
constabularies.
1--WE have some peculiar situations
in Utah" said he, "and we are aware
that before very long we must have
state constabulary. And l propose tn
model 1t in many ways after your
Michigan organization. a portion OF
which / have seen here today. Pos
sibiy it will not be necessary for us
to have as large an organization as
you have right at the start, but we
can use your system and have our
barracks arranged much as you do.
AT present we have two companies
Of regular army men at Camp Doug
lass. They have been used to keep
down any disorder we may have. We
have larger smelters in our state, with
a population around them much as
you Michiganders have In your cop
per and iron countries. You know
what that means-you are sitting on a
possible volcano all the time. So far
the government has been very kind to
leave the two companies with us, but
recently in Washington / was inform
ed that it would not be long until the
government would have to send the
soldiers for intensified service over
seas. Then we will have to have
constabulary, for our National Guard
Is gone.
Little thought has ever been given
the idea OF state constabulary In
Utah until very recently. Nevada has
small force of % men, while Cali
fornia has one OF larger proportions
now in process of organization. The gov
ernor of Nevada told me not long ago
that he did not know what might have
happened in his state this winter had
it not beeh for the constabulary.
mot long ago, too, in a converse
ton with Governor Brumbaugh, of
Pennsylvania, he told me that the
| 10 mounted men the state now had
scattered over it, were worth infinitely
more than the~15. 900 temporary mill
tia which have been organized and
constantly drilling. l cite both OF
these governors merely to show that
the constabulary idea is now consid-
cred the best plan a state can have
for home protection. We intend to
! have one in Utah, and l will not have
to wait for the legislature to meet
next spring to organize 1t, either.
Under our laws, | can organize 1t my
| self.
while there have been complaints,
and | suppose always will be, about
the cost to the state and the taxpayer
where a permanent force OF constab-
ulary is maintained, it strikes me that
counting the cost in dollars and cents
Is the least of the question. II you
count the cost of what lawless mobs
might do, in dollars and cents, you
will also find that your total runs
away up. IL the state constabulary.
even at huge cost for maintenance,
can prevent loss of property running
into the thousands, to say nothing OF
| the loss of lives, / would consider that
almost any sum of initial expenditure
were wisely spent"
Governor Bamberger, during his
stay In Lansing, where he was making
Liberty Loan speeches, went into ae-
tails as to the method of working out
war activities on the part Of Michigan.
In many respects, he said, the prob
lens which his state had to face were
akin to those arising in Michigan. He
was much interested in the move
ments in Michigan for the purchase
of seed corn, tractors and other plans
by which 1t Is expected to accentuate
and increase the crops this year. All
of these plans. he said, had been start
ed in Utah, but he was doubly inter
ested to grasp the details Of the work
In Michigan, and also to see how the
plans were working out.