Salt Lake Telegram | 1937-07-17 | Page 6 | Improving Fort Douglas

n ideal location and officers and troops regard Fort Douglas as a favored post for assignment It was good news which came Monday that the house military affairs committee had approved ap-proved the army housing bill. Fort Douglas share is $42,000, already allocated to carry on work under present plans. It is to be hoped that this and other army bills may receive speedy action by the congress, ror unusual deiaym-making deiaym-making funds available have already obstructed carrying on training plans and other work assigned as-signed to the army. Improving Fort Douglas SALT LAKE CITY dwellers have always been proud to take visitors to the city out to the U. S. military reservation to have them see Fort Douglas, a beauty spot and a show place with its added dash of martial color. But as years have passed there have developed weather-beaten weather-beaten features about the garrison which wera hot altogether calculated to make a favorable Impression. Commanding officer and the post personnel were doing their best to keep the place presentable, but they could not turn back the calendar. Time took its toll. From year to year there was little money made available to take care of deferred maintenance main-tenance and never anywhere near enough to provide pro-vide proper housing for officers and men. Both post and regimental headquarters now occupy old stone buildings which were among those first erected on the original reservation. The old officers' circle still remains as it has since the memory of man runneth not to the contrary. What is the really amazing thing about the entire en-tire garrison is that it has been so well kept under the circumstances and that it is so well ordered and presentable. In the past few years commanding officers have pushed hard for improvements and numerous numer-ous inspectors have pointed out the need for them. Brigadier General Walter C. Sweeney, sow in command, has vigorously pressed for carrying car-rying out a comprehensive improvement program pro-gram and with army funds and allocations from W P A many projects have been completed. Others arc under way and some are yet to begin. When the work is finished Fort Douglas will present pre-sent a greatly improved aspect, but by no means will it be the establishment the community hopes it may become. All the plans, whether the responsibility of military or civil authorities, should be crowded to completion before the onset of unfavorable weather so that by next spring civilians in town will be glad to visit the newly furbished army post, to take visitors to an inviting show place and to further cultivate the cordial relations between be-tween garrison and city. Nature has provided