Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-30
FACILITIES FOR
SOCIAL EVENTS
IN NEW ARMORY
Halls to Be Provided For Civic
Affairs as Well as Mill
tary Drills
JOINT BODY TO MEET
Will Give Consideration to
Plan Calling For State
Cooperation

Colonel n. Z. Finney, chairman of
the joint armory committee of the
Chamber of Commerce, has called a
meeting of his committee for Friday
afternoon at 4 o'clock. At that time
full consideration will be given the
proposition and the outlining of a
program for cooperation with the
State in the erection of such an ar
mory as Harrisburg must have in or
der to accommodate its important
military units.
AS it looks now. the city will have
more military organizations within
the next year than ever before in its
history. 1t is expected that there
will be two infantry companies of
the line. the headquarters of the
Eighth Regiment. and Colonel Fin
ney's supply train. also one head
quarters and one supply company,
a troop OF cnvSllry, a battery of field
artillery, a medical detachment and
possibly machine gun company
and the supply company of Colonel
Finney's train.
Already several of the units are in
process OF organization and early in
the new year the Harrisburg COM
panies Will be ready for inspection
and entrance into the new National
Guard.
For years the armory question has
been uppermost in local military cir
cles. but so long as 1t was a de-
bat;ADle question whether the build
ing would be located in the Capitol
Park area at the foot of Walnut
street and the PENNSYLVANIA rail-
road. or elsewhere, no actual steps
were taken. Now. that 1t Is def
ntely understood that the armory
will not be erected in the Capitol
Park zone. Harrisburg will take the
necessary steps in cooperation with
the Commonwealth to provide ade-
quate facilities for the accommoda-
tlon of the military forces here.
Other cities are taking similar ac-
ton and several are further along
than Harrisburg.
1t is understood that the new ar
mory will not only provide suitable
quarters for the military oragniza-
tions, but will also meet a great need
through a spacious drill hall for So
cial ard other civic events. Also.
it IS quite likely there will be set
apart in the front of the armory
rooms for the LAS of the various
ex-service organizations, including
the American Legion. the Spanish
American War Veterans, Veterans OF
Foreign Wars and the Grand Army
of the Republic. 1t has also been
suggested that there might very
properly be provided a room N
which to store and display various
Interesting souvenirs of the different
wars, portraits of officers and pho
tographs of local organizations.
There is great interest in the ar
mory movement and no one doubts
that the city will generously cooper
ate with the State in making the
building a credit to Harrisburg and
model for all other cities and
towns. The old armory at Second
and Forster, streets has long since
ceased to be large enough for the
growing military family of this city
and the Chamber of Commerce
through the joint committee, com
posed of military officers and mem
bers of the Chamber, is leading the
movement for adequate facilities for
our representatives in the National
Guard.