Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-15
Finish Inventory
Military Property
Tn State of Maine

State and Federal property In
Maine for military purposes to the
value of $1,562, 1868 is shown by
the inventory which has been COM
pIeted by Lieut.. Col, Charles w.
Savage, State ordinance officer, as
sisted by Major William G. Good
win. acting State quartermaster'
and others.
This property is divided under
the following heads: Federal prop
erty for which Maine is Responsible
S702, 1878; Federal property IN
the hands Of the Guard units, $60o,-
547.4G State property to the value
of S163. 10000.
The inventory was completed De-
cember 31st, and the tabulation, an
other big task, has just been mn
ished and the report is ready to De
presented to Governor Ralph "
Brewster. This is the first inventory
made since 1910. >.
The report shows that there Is
now on hand in Maine, enough
eouipment of all kinds to completely
t furnish the National Guard units
now enrolled. 1t shows in addition
that this equipment is all in excel
lent. serviceable condition, every
thing in good shape for immediate
use, and checking with the Federal
lists in almost every minute partlc-
ular.
BY military property Is meant
everything that Is necessary 10
equip, house, arm. and provide trans
portation for the various National
Guard units in Maine: to care for
them when they are i'll or wounded,
to serve meals to them when they
are i'll or wounded, to serve meals
to them when they are hungry, and
to put them at least on an equal
footing with the best armed and
equipped fighting forces of the
world.
The military storekeeper must be
able at all times to fully dress, arm
and equip each man, arrange for n
transportation, housing and provi.
sioning, and for complete medical
attention when that becomes neces-
sary. That also goes for the Coast
and Field Artillery Machine Gun
Corps and every other branch OF the
service.
( The endless multiplicity OF MI
mute and medium-sized and very
large articles of every nameable
kind, sort and description which go
! to make up this federal and state
property cannot be fully appreciated
until it is explained that one single
Gun. the far-famed IS of the World
war. has more than $500 parts in
its assembly, and these parts have
to be kept on hand at all times, as
do those for the Springfield rifles
Golf 9l1tO-
! matte pistols, and all the other va
ried weapons and implements uSeu
in modern warfare.
Tiny springs worth cent or two,
and big guns worth in the neighbour
hood of $50,Co0 represent the two
extremes of articles included in this
mammoth inventory = with ev-
erything from a plain coat-button to
a motor-truck sandwiched IN be-
I tween.
Military Motor Equipment
Major Goodwin, WHO was the
State quartermaster for 16 years
and since his retirement last Septem-
| Der has been acting quartermaster,
has been an efficient manager of this
biggest of all Maine stores. For ex-
ample, he has he'd full charge of the
erection and equipping of the mill
tary garage at Camp Keyes, as COM
pletely equipped as any garage in
Augusta with the single exception OF
the State Highway garage. 1t is cs-
& timated, at the present time, that the
equipment and repair parts in the
military garage are worth in the
neighborhood of 100000. Ma or
Goodwin said Saturday: with the
exception of the repair parts, that
Ex,r-
! cost the State less than $500. In it
we make all repairs on military
motor equipment, and 1t is done as
well as it could be done anywhere, at
much less expense to the State"
That the military motor equip
ment is well cared for is shown by a
letter from the corps commander, re-
Gently received by Adjutant General
Hanson commencing, the state of
such equipment in Maine, and ask
ing advice as to the methods en-
ployed here in the upkeep of such
quipment.
Should Have New Storage Buildings
"One thing we do need, and need
lady," said Major Goodwin. 1--WE
lave hundreds of thousands of dol
RS worth of State and Federal
roperty. much of it perishable,
-ored in the old wooden building at
amp Keyes at Augusta. The blan-
ct insurance now covering it is en-
rely inadequate. In case of seri-
'us fire there. the State of Maine
would have to dig deep into its pock-
cts to replace this valuable material.
We have no adequate e-fghting
equipment, and especially in winter,
the difficulty of stringing more than
600 feet to the nearest hydrant would
render an attempt of this sort almost
useless"
Need Concrete Storehouse
Outside of the danger of loss
from fire, we should have a concrete
building for storing small-arms am
munition. which is all more \or less
subject to deterioration due to sud-
den changes of temperature. At
present this material is stored in a
series of old wooden buildings.
sheathed with sheet metal. 1t is
hoped that an appropriation will be
made later on to improve our facili-
ties for storage of all military equip
ment. The danger from fire can
hardly be emphasized too fully"