Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1842-08-11
EbF y &C a3rssa.
! IL 81 1870 -

J.. ~ ~" saA tle Letter e Col. rIslrr. slreaa
gFea1nmsntsd ca, viih lhe Reply Il III. 7sk,F,
kn inselligsni ArmoFsf ffpm Spfinpaeia. s a,,ey
dance a. Washilssor. Our apology for ee.,,D,
iag 50 much space Ill u foana ia ,ke faet II,
laFge natnberi 81 der readars are. yi,allg ;.,e
rested in ths subiesl, ana common iosliee II
.-l.---.----.A-.s 49, i.
| sGEKTLEMES !: iii Your2aper 81 the 1911
Instant iifrg6hsbed the substance of Ger
tain reinaF4s phGe ~ tho Hon, Mr. Ba.e
| Of Massachusetts,, ia the Senate Of ihe ii
States, % iheblI which ubntains, amobgs
other matters, "a .sectioa s5olishlns Is,
| the Offices ofsuperinlendAais Of the srns
| RES Asfmy name is used rather freely
aud thtak unnecessarily, ia that publ
cation ! deem il proper u sav that falss
issue is>attenpied to be made The true
! issue is between the Government and tbe
1praciices lhder the old SYSTEM Of super.
4 inteudence,. and noEbet%een ma aud he
latpS supsrtntenaenis. ! rus. tina, n,yHre
4 lations with Col. LucasIa are Of the mrs,
friendly nature, and es regards Mfr. Rob-,
! whatever they are, shall leave hira il
sexPlain them. eaIy promising thai can
mot be drawn into R<contesi vi ih himnor
| the "armofer in atlen3saqe,"
Mr. Robb may claim what Be pleases
on thescore Of meii;otioas services, even
to his having bnen The best Of all snperir.
! tendenss, haye wafTed hot against him,
but The system. as Il existed III Practice,
and Tue papers pertaining 10 the mates,
from frat 10 last will show lhalfact4 The
| first step taken IN the>busiaess, IN March,
lS4l. was . suggestion that, in case The
then superintendent werd lobe removed.
the armories might be placed under The
\ charge Of ORDNANCE officers. and The rea
sons foF this course were.d deemed sufficient
| BY the Secretary Of War and lie Presil
|dent who, On the list Of April, lS4I. jor.
dered the ua4snre 10 becarried into ef.
feet. The present Secretary of War and
the Military HConmittess in the Senate
and House OF Representatives, have Sll
Sustained that measure: whether It final.
Iy succeeds or fails, l. c!afna ID be consi.
dered as having acted from motives Of
public doiy alone.
| ] am charged with making communi.
cEtionsc TO Senators while tue bill was
pending. That the Public may Judge Of
the uatare Of that offence, Isuiai; ON a caaa
''The armory question may be explained 81
setting forth fe T,of the facJs; 4
"lSt, There now is, and has been, q greater
number Of men employed than would be necessa-
~ 10 perform all the work ID case they iaboTed
with reasonable diligence ten hours day..
t'2a AtalI private manufactures the opera.
lives pre- required 10 labor twelve hours and up
wards per day. while at The sfnaofies ten hours,
and at heavy fofgipg seven toF eight hours only,
are demanded.
"3h. If The number nov employed should la
Dor isn hours day., the ANIMAL appropriations,
after providing the necessary nlaterialsand tools,
woulp be entirely i1suaicieri topay the work.
men BIT present prices.
s4lh- The regulations goferniRg the work
men are moi eaangtl hey ate nersty enforced /;
eveTy man being required 10 oemmsnck wg1k al
fixed hopr~ands'abor during vtxklhgz Hours.
unless he finds it necessary To- bQss;speti6cs
Of 3 day. not less than quattFr bsiasi noted
| The ola practice ofcoming ahN going 10 suit The
pleasure ofeach, and WORKING ot playing IN hours
or out Of hours, was abuse formerly Tolerated,
4 but never sanctioned hy regplaiionsS and the
prs;ext that because nst rork By tis.piscs they
should be: allowed IL run machinery when theg
Epease, and be absent whenever it sui,s theft
4 whim. finds DO fager At private workshops noi
can il be Bliowed where the york oFshe man
depends on that done By aacaherFer carrying en-
and keeping up AZ bEaachesi 90 proper stan
dsrd. The maseFatmorer eaIaot keep all
/ branches ID a suitable stage Or Advancement M
less No can rely on the quantity Of work 70 be
done BIZ each! man.
sli5lh. The rsal ground Of oppo,iiiOr 70 The pre-
sent mode ofsurargision is well known 70 b
| this: The men have been paihheh prizes. and
were il Ire habit nf working from four 70 sx
hours per day, and being absent whole days. or
week !; All Ire e1ld ofra mobth their pay WIS gene,
ralIT the same in amount as il noEabsence had
4 occurred. They are now required TO work tut
\ time, and during fixed hogfs, laccording % OK
reenlatioHs,) ard he master of the shop keeps
II time account showing the iirne actually spent j
ra6er HsFe:is the grsatoYpY{si6n complained u
i AT The end Of month the qnpniiiy Of lHt0r per
formed, or produsf, and tie iissH4nring which il i
effected, are seen BY a simple Inspection cf iht
shop books The degree Of diligence used b
each man is also known, and hence results !
i knowledge or what il The fir lriae 70 be paid "a
piece work The afnolers nsy atisuip! 10 dis
guise or hide the EGth under a thousand clamors
II but this is the real cause Of der objections ID
Il military superintendent He eHforoes The rega
II Istions which Iay bare their secret practices
4 Theycan contrib aciyil superintendent, and hay
4 ofen done il: they have occasionally ouslel
one, and they have. shst one.
4 .sIt.has long Been considsted privilege 70 b
employed at Springfield Armety. and there an
inoE about forty applications per week Of fifs
rate mechanics II was formerly the custom III
Al armsrur ii sell out biz chance as II va
4 called, when he cAeSe % do tsp One hpndTei
idollarslhave Been paid for chance 10 blow All
str5ke il .hr snatshy and s2ee, $3.50, and 500
have been paid for chances ID gaEioug hranche
at ihe arniuEy
awe ssy b the afmaIers, Eiete are oar feeu
lations ii youj Wilt ne; abide 5Y iheus 90 else
there. for We khael thai as many g9od Ct hFssEe
vorkusencan be had 1T any Eipfaent. fIseY 90
u szvef. No i W viii not leave The arraofy + "
insist ID vb1<igg mr. the United States and wi
a IL our own tefnas This IS practically The fact
I'll ard aii private facturers al the North com
plain u ihq high prices Paid d ihe artDoFtes z
mechanical skillet nc gFs at pfettnsioi1s Iaaeee
since he iitrod1riidR ofso glsfty peg machine:
i}efv 1alle skill IS re Iuirsd q use hem aHEl
1 hsYog good workl1ea arr necessary to keep thei
!. in nrde. ard Ia make aidit1as.
: sssTs should Sc borne in niad thsl the rnasts
!, .rrrorer ,uhozfses al Instructions 20 the wofi
! r,gn in relation 10 their nnpnef Of executiu
vxT,rk. ishImskif amechanic bred ioIhe basinek
! q, TALcoTT, ~ Gel. ord.a
lib n he Eaitsrf n ~ National IaisiEir sacef.
GzxrIExrs Iay our paper % the 2sd ius,an,
rounonse atiuit appears under he signature Of III
Tslcott Et.Cqi Ordnance p relating 10 the ssarFi
A II. a. r.