The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-12-02
last ten years it has been 4 costly and
useless incu rbrance to the transaction Of
public business. .s2,.-
HAo OF0WaDce Buroa0..UrGeat Appeal
fer Increased APProPriatlons. f::2

+. +s:'..' E 9ee0 ARRf9oRt1aSaonss =;
The report Of the, chief Of the ordnance
bureau u shows that the varied duties in
connection with the department. have been
conducted the past year with view. to the
economical tex penditure Of the limited
appropriations ltsurgess an increased ap.
preparation for arming and eqnipping the
militia, the annual sum for this purpose
being but $500. 900, the same amount %.
propriated IN 1908. when our population
vas only about 5000, COO EaaatIist DQo..
OOO now. The strength Of the militia IL,
organized, "a, ,74 unnoExanized :, 3,7Ol.o77;
The immediate completion OF the Rock
Island Armory is recommended, when, it
will have facilities for supplying all the
armies that may be organized in tho .dis.
sissippi Valley in any var of the greatest
magnitude.
The entire army has been supplied with
new rifles and carbines, of which there
will be aresserve supply Of 400 900 stand
At the end Of the fiscal year. An i,l.
creased expenditure in this direction is
urgently urged, SO that our arsenals may
be stocked At all times with large re.
serve supply ofthe best rifles and car.
bines. The bureau will make an exhibit
At the Centennial that will be creditable
to the country.
OF the experiments with rifled cannons
for coast defenses it says: The expert
menls that have been conducted at Sandy
t1ook have been so successful and salts.
factory in their results that they have
awakened interest among military men
abroad to = surprising degree, when
We realize our pigmv efforts at effectine
results with insufficient means, and com
pare them with the extensive and elabo
rate trials. seemingly regardless Of ex
pense, that have been made and are be-
ing prosecuted from year to year by a.
most every European nation.
We cannot stand with folded hands
and permit other nations to get far in
the van in = line of improvement in
which the United States not many years
ago knew no superior. The successful
manufacture and the preliminary trial o
the 8l.ton gun in England is only anothe,
move in the great contest between & IN:
and iron.clads; for the hurting Of rife
shot of twelve hundred and fifty pounds
with a velocity Of 1850 feet per second
carnot be considered the extreme limit
to the development Of artillery power
and yet, for the want Of the necessary ap
propriativns, this country is forced to de
pend on the smooth. bore system and few
small rifles carrying shot Of l80 and 25'
pounds weight. which cannot possibly ful
fill the important and evcr.varying condi
tons of warfare. We are even now de
pendent for much of our information il
these matters, so vital to national defense
on the results Of experiments abroad. a
. time. too, when. had We means as ",
have skill and ability, we could undoubt
edly keep up successfully with the ad
vances made by other nations. Rife gum
of size. endurance and power to enable u!
to meet on fair and equal terms foreigl
foe, must be provided while We have time
and it is certainly not the part Of wisdom
to delay making such provision until th'
enemy invades our Shores