Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-04-22

have SO recommended; and his policy would
have been, perhaps, adopted. But he did no
snch thing; and succeeding administrations
for forty years continued these establishments
in the hands Of faithful and competent civilians,
without any change Of the system which Wash
ington had instituted and approved.
We agree with the Union, that the compare
tive merits of the two systems may be best
tested by the results, and without, for the pre-
SENT presenting any new figures Of our own,
with which We are well supplied, we shall ex-
anime those submitted by that paper. We give
the tables as they appear in the Union:
SPRINGFIELD ARMoRY.
Arms made. Expenditures
therefor.
During superintendent by
military officers 1873 700 81 ,SS7 6S7 95
During an equal period of
superintendent by civil
lans. ......... l63,96T 2.100,056 20
HARpER's FERRY ARMoRY
Arms made Expenditures
During superintendent by
military officers ........ 129y454 81 S20.5n 81
During an equal period Of
superintendent by civil
ians.. 1880 2,l14,57o %
TIE total expenditures during the same pc
Rod, for machines, buildings, repairs, and i'm
provements, were:
At Springfield. At Harper's
During superintendent
by military ofieers.. .S4s6, SOS A S6l4,40S 81
During an equal period
OF superinlendence by
civilians. ............. lss,52l SO 374046 DC
The conclusion from this exhibit is, that the
expenditure of public money in the manufac-
ture of arms is much greater under the civil>
than under the military system. But it will
be observed, that no enumeration of the ele
ments which make up the aggregate cost of
manufacture is made, and the reader is left to
conjecture of what items the sums total are
composed. 1t may be the naked appropriation
for that purpose, with no part of the expense
for tests, repairs, new machinery, &C.: or it may
include o portion Of the sum expended for these
purposes. The rule adopted BY the department
is arbitrary, and may be used to produce any
result most desired. But let US analyze these
tables for moment, and see what results are
Produced
For manufacture Of arms al Spring
field. 81 ,SS16S7 30
Formanutacture Of arms at Harpers
ferry. .................. 1,S29,34l 81
For repairs, Improvements, and
new machinery" al Springfield. 4S6SG5 "A
For repairs, improvements, and
h new machinery at Harpers ferry 6l449S OF
S4 ISIS, 500 Al
EXPENDITURES UNDER CIVIL SYSTEM.
For manufacture OF arms al Spring
........................ s2,loo,o56 20
For manufacture OF arms al Harper's
ferry................... 2,1l4,57o %
For repairs, improvements and
new machinery at Springfield. 1ss,521 50
For "repars. improvements, and
new machinery, al Harpers ferry 37i0i6 4G
s4,777,19l 81
Excess Of expenditures under mill
tary system over civil. 4 3oS "A
10 this sum should he added. $3.50. $4,000 90
For pny of military officers, in command, which
is admitted to have been received by them
out of appropriations for the pay of the army.
and not included above, while the salaries of
the civil superintendent are estimated in the
sum charged to the civil system; making the
total excess $lll,3 Al.
The special appropriations under each sys-
TEN, stand as follows:
- MILITARY.
AT Springfield armory ............ SlS6.S65 A.
| AT Harper's ferry armory... 6l44o5 81
| Sl,10l 1868 rs
| At Springfield armory ............. Slss521 SO
AT Harpers ferry arinory. ......... 374,046 46
... $685., 54s IS
Excess Of expenditure by The mill
larry over civil system. .......... S53S, 795 40
Thus under the head of "repairs, improve
ments and new machnery"--,the purposes for
which these special appropriations are made by
Congress-the military superintendent have
expended nearly twice as much money in the
same period as the civil. This result.it will
be remembered, is shown from ther own fig
ures .N..
Every man in the least degree acquainted
with the mechanic arts knows that, within the
last twelve years, the period covered by the
military system, immense improvements have
been made, not only in mechanic skill, but in
Indeed, it may be safely said, that during no
similar period in the history of our country
have such rapid strides been made in every
branch Of the mechanicarts. With more than
a million of dollars at their command
with the benefit Of the most improved ma
chinery, the increased experience of work
men, and a thousand facilities which were un-
known during the period of civil superintend
ency at the armories, for the rapid and perfect
execution of work-how happens it that the
expense to the government of keeping up these
armories is greater now than it was twelve
years ago? If, as is asserted, military superin-
tendence is more economical and military off
GERS are so much better fitted for the manage
ment of the armories, with these great advan.
tages over the civil superintendent, surely a
better showing than this should be made. C-
lao, l. : n mn