The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-14
NATIONAL ARMORIES.-Remark
npon Colonel Craig's Article of the 10th in
slant on the proposed change of the Super

G NATIONAL ARMORlES.-RemarE
upon Colonel Craig's Article of the 10th in
slant ON the proposed change of the Super
tntendency of the National Armories.-At
the time of the change of SUPPLEMENTARY in lS4l
Colonel Craig was only member of the Board of
Ordnance, and up to that time Colonel Talcott,
who was the 'sInspector of Armories,'' had uni
formy borne testimony lin his inspection reports to
the excellent quality of the made and the good
order and efficiency ofthe establishments These re-
ports made when there no motive for srnis.
representations, and in the library of the House
of Representatives. At the time the board of citi-
gems was appointed to examine into the condition
of one of the Armories, it was understood to have
been done at the suggestion of Captain d. Tyler,
who had been but a short time before member of
the Ordnance Board. He was one of the commits
sioners, and drew up the report II was we'll
known that he had cherished for some fifteen years
bitter amnesty towards the workmen of that
one Armory. The report was absurd in itself
that it had no influence with the House at the time
the question OF legalizing the military rule was de-
bated. The House refused to vote for it till it was
tackled to a popular bill for the reduction of the
army by the Senate, who would not recede from the
amendment. After giving the workmen the worst
character as men and mechanics, this report
speaks Of the arms and machinery made by them
as OF the best quality and constantly advanced"
The testimony of Mr.. Pomeroy, referred to by Col.
Craig to the quality of arms, is of little value as
ne was not mechanic. The statement of the saw
ing of the military system is very unfair and we'll
calculated to misead; for instance, the Colonel
takes period, 1910 and 1S4l, when the transition
from the old to the model was going on, and
the workmen had not full work and much of the
time worked by the day at small per diem. This
ne compares with 1850 and 1851, when no such dis
turbng cause affected the amount earned; but
when all had full work and worked by the Job Tor
apiece" in Armory phrase.) By such s'facts and
hgures ne demonstrates that there has been no re-
duction of wages 1t is notorious Harper's Ferry
and Springfield, that the prices paid for the various
operations on the musket have been reduced more
than 25 per cent, and some moro than so per cent
method 1irip INIT IL flo
gacity, and of which civilian might reasonably
be expected TO be aware.
Again: ne takes the year 1851 to show that
SIS, 900 had been saved in a single year by milf
tary rule. He asserts that % 900 guns were made
in 1851. He does not appear to have observed that
in 1856 there were but 10 900 arms made; and that
the capacity of the esta biishment is the same
from year to year, it is clear that many of the
parts were made in 1850 that went into the guns of
1851. The average between the two years should
be taken which would alter the result materially.
The civil superintendent account current was
reported to Congress-; but that of the military
superintendent has been suppressed, and it is not
easy to come at the present cost accurately. Be.
sides the reduction of wages, there are three
these
4. decrease in the cost OF stock
2. The substitution of cheaper model.
8. Increased facilities for manufacture, such as
new machinery, &c.
The Colonel of Ordnance assumes if the super
intendent had been a civilian, these causes would
not have produced the same results. The Colonel
is in error when he says the Armories had ..run
down." for they had never been in better condi-
ton in every respect than they were at the time
the superntendency was changed; that the char.
acter of the workmen has improved under the
present reg ime is a mooted point, well known to
the undersigned, who was engaged in the Armory
for thirty years, and for the last twelve years
held the office of inspector of lock and component
parts, five years of which were under the present
military rule.
Finally, no complaint was ever heard of con-
tumacy the part of civil superintendent, and
it ia believed that there is danger from the diff
culties suggested by the Colonel of Ordnance.
JOHN C. STEBBINS.
WAsHINaToE, February Ia, 1858.
Feb IA
y EPRiNT OF THE ORIGINAL LETTERS
IL FROM WASHINGTON TO JOSEPH REED
during the American Revolution referred to in
the Pamphlets of Lord Mahon and Mr. Sparks
BY William B. Reed. =
Truth, or Persis Clareton; by Rev C.. B. TayIer
The curse oil Clifton, a Novel; by Mrs. South
worth.
A Hero, and other Tales; by the Author of the
Ogilvies.
Obligation of the Sabbath; discussion between
Rev. J. N, Brown and VIM b TAYLOR.
The Naval Institutions OF Republic; by Vim
Maxwell Wood M. D., Surgeon U 8. N.
FebI4 FRANCK TAYLOR