The daily union., 1854-07-27

atey surrounded him. than from evidences of existing
abuses. His own testimony to be found on pages H. 7s
and 20 of Miscellaneous Document No. 10, usihes this
conclusion Nearly half century elapsed after the organ
zaton of the armores at Harpers Ferry and Springfield
before the penetrating sagacy of the military men OF 1871
discovered that neither subordnaton, industry skill nor
economy in the workshops OF the artisans could exist with
out the aid and control OF the military most sage
concusion yet most unfortunate for these farseeing gem
emen the public records of the nation all against it,
up to that period at least Extracts from those records,
made by the honorable chairman of the select committee
Mr. STANTON from the 1900 to lS4l Ito be found
pages s. g. T. and of the majority report show most
undoubtedly, that while these national workshops were
under the management of selected from the body of
citizens department of the challenged and
obtained the concentrations of the War Department as
well OF such officers &C. were from time to time de-
tailed for their inspection The Hon. William Cost john
son. distinguished representative in Congress from Mary
land in the year 1885, but two years before the adoption
of the military supernendency of the armores in re-
port the House of Representatives the subject Of ma
ona foundry for cannon spoke thus of the manufacture
of small at the Springfield and Hapers Ferry armo-
ries:
.The experienced transatlantic officers and artisans
admit that the muskes and rifles made in the United
SUPERIOR in point finish and usefulness to the best
made Europe So perfect and improved has been the
what board of French officers pronounced desderatum
that impossible. They thought that it impossible
make musket that part Of the work made for would
suit M the rsduary part made in another shop or factory
and by different hands; that the springs and made to
suit given lock could be made with such uniformity and
precision to for the corresponding parts OF differ
ent lock- They thought that if part Of musket lost
and make it quadrate with all its but that the aid of
mechanic must be employed the musket be discarded
Such has been the fact with the made in France
because the filings of the various parts regulated chiefly
by the eye This is not the case in national factories
The system of machinery reduced to such perfection that
every part of muke and rife made with such nice pre-
cson and accuracy, that spring made for
made in each OF the public factories Take part of
muske made in the Springfield factory and it will be
Ferry All the parts of two muskets be taken asunder
though be made at Harper's Ferry and the other at
there may be taken from the heap thus blended at random
the component parts of musket and these put together;
can be- although half the be made factory and
the other half the other The chief of the Ordnance de-
Hence pistol made public of the
United States almost indestructibe; for, from the frag
together perfect as when first made.
The mproSSsments made in the rifle are still greater
minute while Halls rife, made at arper's Ferry, which
receives the load at the breeh be loaded and
egh, times in the space of time Reports 9Th
Congress, Sd session, vol. 2
The friends of the military system have affected be-
leve that if superintendent taken from civil life the
politician would be selected and the workshops
would become the effective element in political organiza
tom but neither in the extended investigation of the
operation Of the Springfield armory by the commission a
pointed for that purpose in 1853 in the examination
of witnesses by the select committee of this House. with
reference to the armore has appeared that any super
intenden has been removed political grounds that
the potcal opinions Of employ6 have beer nertred
with questioned under civil rule
The friends of the military rule have been equally unfor-
tnate in their efforts prove that the change has result
ed in economy in the Of public money The aggre-
gate cost for the support Of the amores which includes
lands machinery, buildings lots manufacture of arms &C.
for the orty-seven years they under civil rule
$l25245l6, during which time there were manufactured
a3lo9S arms, which makes the cost Of each fifteen
dollars and cents The aggregate expense in sup
porting the armories for the twelve and oueourth
under military superintendence S5,046s05, and the
number of arms manufactured during this period
3l354 being sixteen dollars and eleven cents for each
oyIn pf doll pants
upon each arm under the civil superintendent.
| The Secretary of War; in his communication the Sc
ect committee in reply to the query submitted to him as
the number of made since the superintendent by
military officers and the amount of expenditure therefor
and the number Of made and the expenditure there
for for equal period during the superintendent by c
villains submits comparison for twelve and onequartcr
years under each rule which exhibits the of each
under military superintendence Sll 81 and each
der civilians S3 63 being balance favor of the former
of 81 76 on each arm But at the same time, he shows
that there expended for repairs, machinery, &c, $685.
1856 under the military than under the civil superin
endence which makes the cost of the mskc under
each system about the for that period of time. No
extensive private manufacturer would in estimate
ming through period Of quarter century estimate
the cost of his productions by excluding items of expend
ture but the contrary would estimate the cost by the
aggregate outlay. Machinery TOOLS and buildings depre
ciate daily and require repairs and improvements from
time to time and systematic business man would i'll
der to arrive at the cost of each article produced only
include incidental expenses but interest the original
outlay for construction of buildings machinery &C II
il had been made TO appear that the of $685.
1856, expended under military rule in the twelve
and fourth years. had resulted in making the proper
ty Of the government substantially that much
valuable, the might with plausbility he
ruled out of the cost of but such fact has not been
evdenced but it has been most satisfactorily proved to the
majority of the committee that very large have been
unnecessarily expended in ornament and in extending and
decorating grounds and constructing costly buildings for
the quarters of the supernendens But viewing the que
ton through the optics with the friends of the milf
tay superntendence and what proved in the matter of
economy? One dollar and seventysix cents have been
quarter years. compared with the time antece-
dent TO military superintendent; but look TO the
printed statement of Colonel Ripley the conuandant
the Spring geld armory TO be found page lS IL will
be that ninety cents have been saved in the fabrication
Of each muske in 1853 compared with the cost in l84l in
consequence Of improvements in machinery and tools and
dollars and twenty cents reduction caused by
tenn and economy (which in plain parance is reduction IN
the wages of the wortmen making, each muske three
dollars and thirteen cents Ii is therefore apparent that
with the increased facilities for manufacturing which not
only exists at the national oundres bqt in every
Workshop and the great reduction in the wages for con-
strucng the component parts OF the arm the War Depart
should have been enabled TO make favorable
exhibit than reduction of dollar and seventy six cents
Yes Mr. Chairman, reduction caused by system and
onyn is fully defined by Colonel Ripley, page ls2 Of
printed statement the caption to those items TO wit Re
ducon in the paid for the labor each musket
between is4l and 1853 and from very hour that dated
the military dynasty abridgment OF the personal liberty
and curta OF the value of labor of the employees were
marked plainly enough upon It's tteage and every fact
connected with its history demonstrates that the text has
been rigtdiy adhcred 10.
Under civil supcrntendence the workmen content
ed and cheerful The most of them worked by the piece
and each required to perform fair days work. TO
the end that others in hs shop engaged in the manufacture
of other parts OF the might not be compelled 70 lose