National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-10-25

The report OF Gen. A. b. Dyer. chief OF ord
nance, contains the following additional partlcu-
lars respecting the operations OF the ordnance
department.
on the subject OF small arms, In conformity
with the provisions OF the act OF June o, 1879,
spproprlating $4,000 for the manufacture OF
arms at the national armory, board convened
In New York city, september ., 1879, and con-
cludej itI labors, May q, 1874. After an ex-
haustlve examination and trial during session
Of months duration OF over one hundred arms.
Including those adopted by the frat military
Powers OF Europe, the board resolved that they
recommend that ne Springfield breech.loadng
system be adopted for the military service Of the
United states, 10 accordance with the provisions
Of the act OF congress, approved Juues Q, lsia.
The Springfield arsenal Is now engaged In the
| manufacture OF rides and carolnes, on the new
model, for the military service. Ten thousand
Of these arms will be supplied to the. army for
| trial. On the subject OF armlnR aud equipping
the militia, the report says .ln this connection,
| as bearing most vitality on the effectiveness Of
| the armed force OF the nation In time OF war,
| the wants Of the whole body OF the militia are
again presented for legislative action. Tue an;
/ nual appropriation OF s20O,OO for armlng and
equlpping the militia, fixed by the act Of April
| 20, isOs, Is entirely Inadequate ~ the present
time, with population increased from eight to
more than forty millions. AZ a consequence
some OF the richer States OF the Union have had
| to make appropriations Of money TO provide the
arms, ac., necessary to supply such deficiency;
| In the law Of 1908, was that the money so ap-
| propriated should supply the whole body OF the
militia II sloO,0oo was not deemed too much
| In lsOs, when arms, nc, were cheap, as com.
pared with the improved and costly mechanism
now admitted to he necessity, surely an IN.
crease OF the appropriation Of si,ooo,ooo an
at Is believed that all issues OF arm, and other
ordnance stores which were made by the War
Department to tho States and Territories be
tween January, 1861, aud April ., 1s65, under the
act Of April 2s, 1sOs, and charged to the States
and Territories, having been made for the main
tenance and preservation Of the Union, are
properly chArgeable to the United States, and
the Secretary OF War should be authorized u
credit the several States and Territories with
the sums charged to them, respectively, for arms
them between the aforementioned dates, ant
charged against their quotas, under the law, foi
! srming aud eqnppng the militia, provided thai
each state and Territory before receiving credit
for the Issues charged to them, shall return the
property to the ordnance department, free o.
charge to the United states, or give satisfactory
! evidence to the Secretary OF War that It was ex
, pended or otherwise disposed OF In the publ,
service during the rebellion. II Is recommended
that legislation to this effect be asked OF Con
gress."
Respecting heavy ordnance, the report says
"The importance OF the subject Increases witt
the earnest and continued Efforts on the part OF
: all nations, not only to improve the quality OF
the guns, but In providing In quantities those
that have given best results IN experimental
trials. 1t is not the part OF wisdom to wait fol
never may be obtained, or for the first mumblinI
| OF approaching strife, when guns are needed II
fortresses and not In foundries, to commence
the tedious and costly work Of construction. IL
the modern quick and decisive settlement Of
differences by the arbltrament OF arms there Il
: no time for arbitration after the declaration 0
war, and q nation may sink beneath the power
ful blows OF q wel-armed adversary Ia less time
/, than II takes TO msnufacture single gun"
/, The rest OF the report, though important II
! showing the condition OF the Ordnance Depart
ment. Is OF little interest to the unprofessional
reader,