The Raymer enterprise., 1919-01-09

4 As IApluly ~ Houuu mas per
/ mitted. the force has been reduced until
| IL now numbers little more than fifty
4 men. To no point has more than TWEEN
+, ty guardsmen been sent. and this to dc
duty at some power plant or railroad
| bridge or tunnel. and at no time has
a man been sent except through a law
| ful request Of duly constituted author
tiles OF counties and the request OF the
citizens. further, never except to pro.
tect against supposed allen enemies.
| THE sELECTIvE SERVICE.
The selective service law was to be
/ put into effect. The state was divided
| by the governor into two federal dis.
| tricts. Two distinct boards = Denver
Pueblo-each five members. appellate
and certain original Jurisdiction, were
appointed. Sixty-seyen local exemp.
tion boards were also appointed and
organized as named by the governor
| A provost marshal was selected. hav.
Ing supervision OF the selective serv.
Ice. Through the seiectiye service Law
over 10000 OF various nationaiitles
1 were submitted for registration. oyei
$4,000 were selected; over $4,000 were
inducted Into the federal service. a
most delicate and responsible trust hac
these various boards Many a mar
who served came from the quieter and
simpler walks OF life. Temptation
great In passing upon the questions OF
entire selectiye service force has ever
been removed for disloyalty. fraud oI
ineompetency and. In truth. no substan-
tiai charge has ever been laid against
any member OF this effective force
The state and the nation owes them
tenn that gave to us our army. Most
of these men gave their service without
financial compensation.
So efficient was the provost marshal
FIRST named that he was called "a
Washington for higher service. and his
successor had not gone far upon his
Way until he WAS called to Washington
into consultation and for advice AS 10
the great work that is stlll before this
department,
The state, through the selective
draft. the National Guard and volun-
taty enlistments. has given to the army
and navy Of the American Union over
fy.eo0 men. No state has done more.
NATIONAL GUARD.
When the call Of the President came
To mobilize the National Guard. the
proclamation Of the governor went
out calling the Guard one month before
IL was To go Into federal service. Every
man responded and some 5000 were
gathered in the mobilization camps
Camp Gunter at Pueblo and Camp
Baldwin at Denver. Uniforms. under
wear. blankets and other equipment
were promptly contracted for and pur-
chased al from SO TO 100 per cent less
than they could have been obtained
forty-fise days later. The men were
ariiisd' put into good condition as 10
health, and, on the date that the Pres
ident had named-August the 5th--
were turned over In superb condition
TO the federal government. No state
has done better by its soldiery; no SOL
diery has reflected more honor upon
their state and nation.
The mobilization of the National
Guard. Its equipment. all aid given to
the selectiye draft and the maintenance
Of the protection requested BY the
President, for this biennial period, will
cost the state, when payments are
completed by the national government.
approximately 100000. When We real
lie that the state paid out In our do
mestic troubles of 1903 and 1904 $780,
900. with 100 lives lost and millions OF
dollars in property destroyed, and that
In the like troubles OF 1914 the state
paid out over $4,000. many lives lost.
millions OF dollars In property de-
stroyed and business interrupted. and
then contrast this condition with how
little Il the outlay that even inter-
national war may bring upon us when
our people are acting harmoniousiy
and loyalty together. We come to know
how much II means for our people TO
act as they have throughout this strug-
gle In loyal and effective harmony.
More than dollars and cents infinitely
more--is the good feeling that has OBJ
tained among our people.
In meeting all OF these war expenses
no direct tax has been laid upon the
people, except less than one quarter OF
mill. or about $40 upon the 100000
have been met by the flat tax upon
corporations. By this tax the inter
est upon bonds was to be paid and a
redemption fund provided; 100000 of
bonds have been issued, and from this
flat tax all interest has been paid and
si2s,o0o paid on the principal sum. The
principal sum Will be rapidly re-
deemed from this flat tax provision.
The state has met promptly all obliga-
tions-and many long outstanding.
Sixty thousand dollars was owing the
city of Denver. years past due, for spe-
etal Improvement taxes. This Just debt
has been paid. For years we have been
indebted to the military department OF
the federal government for supplies:
some friction between the state gov
ernment and the national This amount
was Investigated, reduced to the proper
amount. less than $4,000, and promptly
paid. There has been no complete in
rentory OF the military property OF the
state. The last inventory showed ap-
proximately $4,000. The property has
been looked up. titles cured and now
d careful inventory. with no large In
crease In such property, shows the
military property OF the state at
$3.50 o00
The balance due for the mobiilza-
tion of 1916. $4,000. has been paid.
With great difficulty vouchers have
been secured and the claims OF the
state for the balance due from the fed
eral government for this mobilization
are approaching payment
We know now every dollars worth
OF property that the military depart
ment owns aud are maintaining a
close accounting for all supplies re-
ceived from the federal government.
which viii avoid great loss in the
future.
In this record OF the patriotic efforts
of our people. may ] turn for a fur
ther word to those in private life? Be-
fore the bonds provided were ready
for the market IL was necessary to nav
off our soldiery before they were
mustered into the federal service. Ger
tifleates of indebtedness might have
upon the market. This would have
involved, as has occurred In the past.
sales at heavy discount, with loss to
the soldiery and dlscredit to the state
Three OF the members of the Council
OF Defense were called in and, after
conference with the governor. state
treasurer. auditor and attorney gem
eral. s3s0.0ee was promptly furnished
and the obligations met without a cent
of discount to the soldiers or to the
state
Various calls were made upon the
private citizen Al the first Red Cross
call si.A2a,2s0 was subscribed al the
second call si,g25,d34S3. In the first
Y. NJ, C. A. call si65 900 was given II
the Y. W c. A. call s7i,50i2f was re-
ceived, In the United War Worl;
campaign 1850 600 was subscribed
The knights " Columbus were asked
for slse,opo' sls0,o0o was promptly
given,
The first ldberty Loan subscription
was tls.i7o,l l5p the second Loan s23.-