Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-07-15
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Military superintendsncies Of United States
Armories.-The history Of the current contro-
versy in the House upon this subject. is as
follows; About ten years ago, various impro-
per practices were discovered in the manage.
Iaent of the Springfield and Harper's Ferry
armories, then in charge Of civilians, appoint
ed on political grounds. They grew, evil
IDENTIFY. out of the fact that those charged with
their superintendence were politicians, aiming
to strengthen their party, and to that end
granting undue favors to more or less of those
employed under them, and managing their
charge pretty much at the behest of little
cliques Of local politicians, by whom they
were surrounded. The result was, that the
Government failed to get fair return for
their expenditures in connection with those
armOries. That is, such return as private
prorrietors would have insisted on, had the
establishment in question been the property
Of individuals. About that time, Congress in.
stituted the Ordnance Board; and due investi-
CATION having satisfied them that the national
armories were not as thrifty managed as
they should be, they (Congressl directed that
the said Ordnance Board should thereafter
assume their supervision, and be responsible
for their proper conduct. Since then, they
have been constantly in charge of ordnance
| officers The latter, as managers of such es
Establishments, are usually unpopular the
ground of their unpopularity being their
alleged disposition to impose and insist on the
observance of quasi military regulations. Con-
gress, not long since, appointed a select COM
mittee to investigate long string of charges
against their management of such works, and
voluminous testimony was taken, and majority
and minority reports have been made on the
subject. This testimony, so far as it makes
against the present management of the works,
relates principally to regulations against spit
ting tobacco juice around the establishment,
talking in work hours, reading newspapers in
the shops, attending roll calls, DC, &c.
The majority report takes the popular side
of the question, while the minority argue that
the objections to the present system are frivel-
GUS, and grow almost wholly out of the firm
ness with which the officers in charge have
resisted efforts to introduce political influences
in the establishments, and to accomplish re-
turn to the system Of special favors which in
duced Congress years ago to enact change in
their management.
The minority, in their report, also complain
that the majority would not permit search
ing inquiry into certain points, the calculation
Of which they (the minority conceived neces-
sary to give the country perfect understand
ing of the excellencies of the presen. system,
and the sinister reasons generating much Of
its unpopularity. Indeed, they proudly init
mate, and argue earnestly to sustain the allie.
cation, that the war on the present system is.
after all, mere "dear peopleish' effort to
curry political favor. ar. Keitt, of South Ca
rolina, is the author of this minority report.
which is an exceedingly able paper, doing at
least full justice to the management of those
establishments, of late We have no time to
wade through the voluminous, and at times.
exceedingly frivolous testimony, which has
been printed in connection with this contro-
versy. We have, however, to say that it does
Lot pretend to impugn the honor or the Ca
pacity of any gentleman so employed, whose
conduct has been Investigated. The point it
aims to show is, simply, that it is wrong to sub
ject independent American mechanics to the
government of military men, if we rightly
comprehend it. The Washington arsenal
government manufacturing establishment
baS hon Cov mil
10 the satisfaction of all employed therein
we hear from one who was for a long time lis
master armorer, if We are not mistaken That
is, that despite The stringent rules enforced
there, the hands employed were satisfied, it
being apparent in the long run, that their re-
suit was to secure order, regularity, fair dis
trlbution OF labor and rewards for it, though
they (tne rules prevented indulgence in more
or less practices which some of the hands
thought necessary to their personal comfort.
and which were not usually objected to in large
private workshops
Delays in the Transaction Of Business
Among the most fruitful causes of DELAYS in
the House Hall, is the failure of Committees
to report back to be printed, the details of the
recommendations of the Heads of Departments
and Bureaus, ON which they act in framing
public bills. For years past, hour after hour
have been consumed in the Hall, in explain.
ing, re-explaining and defending amendments
IND items In general appropriation bills which
would not need word Of verbal explanation
or defence, If the House had been put in
possession Of the data on which they were
recommended by the various Committees 1t
often happens, too, that Committees report
against departmental Recommendations; where
upon protracted controversies never fail to
arise. 1t may not be known, even to all the
members, and certainly is not known to the
country at large, that no appropriation is ever
suggested from the Executive branch Of the
Government, except on a written communal
ton showing why such recommends alton has
been made. The trouble of reporting back
the showing is nothing, and the expense Of
printing It as portion Of the report could
not be one hundredth part Of the cost Of the
time Of Congress consumed in arguing points
which all would understand without a verbal
explanation, if they were in print
The Treaty with the shawnees.-AIl Indian
uaderdon in Washington, seems to be eager
for the defeat of the confirmation of the treaty.