New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-02
PRIVATE MANUFACTURERS OF
WAR MATERIALs.

A very large number OF persons "llh un lii-
mense amount Of capital, have been employed
in furnishing all kinds Of war materials for the
use Of the Government during the existence OF
the present war.
Large contracts for arms especially were made
in ls6l-2, involving the creation Of vast estab-
lishments and large quantities of machinery Tor
their production. Very stringent rules OF IN
spection imposed by the ordnance authorities
made it impossible for these contractors to fur
nish invariably perfect arms, in accordance with
the terms of their contracts, thus leaving large
number of really effective arms, with merely
technical defects, on the hands OF the manuiac-
turers Added to this, most of these contracts
have expired by limitation Of time, or have been
annulled by the ordnance authorities, just as
the factories were beginning to be remunera-
tive, from the various economies incident to in
creased skill, improved machinery, and thor
ough system Of divided labor, which has enabled
manufacturers TO furnish perfect Springfield
muskets, insuring fair profit for ten dollars in
gold while at tho Government Armory, at the
beginning Of the war and in time of profound
peace, as reported by the then Chief of Ord
nance, the same arms cost for materials and Ia
Dor alone nearly fourteen dollars, exclusive of
capital involved and the cost of official super
vision, a fact that enables our manufacturers
to supply the large foreign demand with supe-
rior arm, in the face OF any possible competition.
To obviate these disabilities, and TO open up
this valuable trade to our people, now becOm-
ing very oppressive andruinous to the manufac-
turers, it would seem to be the duty of Congress
to remove the existing interdict on the sale of
arms for expectation. The following method
has been submitted for the relief Of the class OF
persons under consideration, by Mr.. Norman
Wizard, who represents and is acting in their IN
terests:
To meet the present foreign demand for small
arms, ships, and cannon, it is proposed to ap-
point commissioner to reside in New-York, or
one for each great seaport, to whom all trans
actions or sales of articles contraband of war
should be reported, whose approval should be
necessary to a legal sale or clearance. law
should be passed removing the restrictions or
prohibitions to export arms, ships of war,
ordnance and ordnance stores, except powder
and other pyrotechnics, shot, percussion caps,
bullets or projeetiles, provided that each sale
for expectation is made bona yide to q recognized
government ut peace with MS aud oil other
nations, and the fact certified to by tho minis
ter or consul accredited to tho United States
and reported to tho commits
sioncr.
To facilitate the sale of arms to foreign gov
ernments, an official proving-house, with
branches if necessary, should DO estab
lshed by the United States, where all arms
should be presented for inspections; pending
which, the present force of inspectors should
continue to inspect all arms manufactured III
existing factories lately producing arms Tor
tho Government, aud such arms should receive
an official stamp, dividing them into three
classes:
First Glass to be Springfield muskets, as for
United States service.
Second Class--A Springfield musket having
slight defect, lot affecting its efficiency.
Third Class--All other arms, brcech-load-
ers, carbnes and revolvers, made under patents
in which only the powder proof is applied to
the barrel or chamber.
Such action as this would at once give pow
erful impetus to every branch Of arms manufac-
turo, it would give emplC yment Immediately
and directly to many thousand mechanics, with
out counting thousands of others engaged IN