The sun., 1890-07-29
HEAVY GUNS FOR COAST DEEENcn
The Dispute in Congress over the Method
OF Providing Them

OF Providing Them
WAsH1NdToN, July 2s.-The prolonged doad-
lock Oh tho Senate and the House over the
fortincahons bill has been discreditable. but
Alalure TO mako any appropriation at oil in
CONSEQUENCE OF this deadlock would bo dis
graceful. The House several months npo
pasIed very moderate BILL containing GER
talnly less liberal provisions for guns md
iorts than the deienceless condition OF our
harpors would have justified. ono OF its pro-
posals was to build a new wing at the Water
wet Arsenal and to furnish that factory with
machinery and tools neoied for the con-
struction OF 12-inch guns. The Senate struck
out the entire item Of t24S,743 for the addi-
uohal wing, and also items amounting to $3.50
Ouo Tor machinery and fixtures making n par
tlal Offset for tho latter. however, with an ap-
propriation OF $2s5,O0O. 1t also m nde sundry
provisions for encouraging the manufacture
OF heavy ordnance by private builders. To
these changes the House refused to consent
Inc war Department, whose views were moro
nearly represented In the House bill, made no
opIectlon to liberal allowance for the manu-
iacturo OF guns by contract but strongly dis
approved Of the attempt to prevent the en-
largement OF the gun shop at West TROY
AS consequence. the Fifty-lrst Congress
mus itself reviving the old controversy be-
tween the manufacture Of heavy guns by the
Government aud their manufacture by private
WORKS. which during the last dozen years has
30 often checked and postponed the work OF
coast defence. During the debate in the SEN
tory were reinforced by those members who
we're we're lor continuing the old do nothing policy,
sphiro ot mem wanting to rely on the virtues OF
s, :iOn ana the approach OF the millennium
While others were for trusting to our ability to
inh4 iinnhh4e Sanada. thereby assuming that Eng
against
A, A to the controversy between Government
INV INV paiva'e manufacture. years OF investiga-
should have sufficiently settled that point, at
Thst THehSsr for the purposes OF the present bill.
manpfaeture prnctis cd By leading % nations.
ono Is that OF depending solely upon Govern
nished 10y France before her war with Ger
many, and she has now wisely abandoned II.
Governnen Office form close CORPORATION,
,se sosiInatelH carrying out their own IDEAS while
cc3uid be arawn from English experience at
y Wooiwich: oor,Ich: A second plan is that Of
niiiiate factories. This was tried by Russla
with dlsastrous effects. the Government first
business and finally being &C compelled lied 10 O. buy 5uy
ON bs be So%fs sEIK 81 e private and carry
perience. getting out Of H. however. In rnther pa
different way. The third plan is that OF depend
ing on private works only. as Germany de-
This is better than the other two plans, yet the
Government is subjected 10 the caprice and
example, accept and pay delay penalty. II it
becomes for his interest to postpone the Gov
w8fs in order to eel to other
w99ld not be exactly what Is wanted.
The The fourth way. which is now practiced by
private resources giving great scope to the |
latter That is to say. all the foundry work in
tract. while the Government limits Itself to
fnrsn hfnishing and assembling the roughly turned
main by our Governnent Several l9a Years. i age tne
BaSs G1ns To- Gsd i is due The fret that
cd with batteries Of high-power ordnance. |
Neyertheess. after this system had been deh-
perience. ,appropriations being made which !
t5s IeHs to g o. large
found a, great naval dnishlng factory at
btsrn bshnE It's SbS to the army was
s should not also be suitable for the guns OF our
eral years this opposition was successful.
through a coalition OF those who opposed
Who wanted tho STmY S' gun nieneeo acory yn es
"a taaIbiished III somewhers else than at the Water:
were Ioined those who wanted no guns made
except through private contract.
At last however. the imperlous demand OF
the people, following tho famous letter of
samuel j. Tildeu to speaker Carlisle OF Dec. /,
1855, forced Congress to act Watervliet was
partly flteu UP for a heavy gun factory. It hav-
Ing already finished guns OF moderate cali bres.
At the same time most liberal provisions were
made for buying both single specimens and
large numbers OF guns and mortars from prI-
vate manufacturers on their passing the Gov.
test.
Yet after this long controversy had thus at
last been fully settled on most rational basis,
we SEQ 1t revived. What ~ most extraordinary,
for years 1t was tho House that Ie-
sisted fitting up the Government factory the
senate then urging It we now sec tho latter
body. after having at last obtained q concession
Of its own policy turning about and doing its
utmost to limit and hamper that policy.
Ihere Is one sensible way TO settle this dis
pute, lie, he full provisions be made both for
The aterviet gun factory and for the man
lgemcnt OF private works. Even should both
10 their utmost the twentieth century would
be here long before the absolute and urgent
leeds OF our harbors could be supplied. Ifthis
tortihcatons bill carried double its present
amount 1t would still fall far short OF the
public neces.iti The spectacle is monstrous
y the Fittyo,rst Congress adding at one stroke
rom S350OOOOO to $400U0U0O a year TO an
llready enormous expenditure for pensions,
md then hRggling over disputed items that
aggregate less than one million for the coun-
rys defence.