The sun., 1896-10-08
GUNS FOR THE GUARDSME EN-
PROTEST AGAINST THE sEBECTIoN
OF THE shYAGE Gun.

OF THE SAVAGE GUN
Gen. Tracy Says That the Gun Breke
Down at Tests Made hy m Army Com
mission, and Was shown to Bo 1nfcrior
at tho State Commtssioa's Test.
ALBANY. Oct THE Savage gun, which is
controlled by a Utica corporation, had its
friends and its enemies at a hearing before
Gov. Morton to-day. This gun was selected by
special commission appointed by the Gov
crnor to adopt new rifle with which to rearm
the National Guard. Tho Commission reported
over two months ago in favor the Savage gun.
The Winchester Arms Company of New Haven.
Conn. and other competitors in the tests which
led to the selection of the Savage gun asked
Gov. Morton for q hearing before he approved
the commissions report. They alleged that
collusion and favoritism was exercised leading
to the choice OF the Savage gun. Gov. Morton
gave the hearing asked for to-day, and reserved
his decision. His approval Is necessary to the
adoption of the Savage gun for the National
Guard, for which the Legislature has author
lied AN expenditure of 100000.
Gen Benjamin +. Tracy and David Welch Of
New York city appeared for the Winchester
Company and President Bennett and Col. Ad-
dis. tho company's general agent, were also
present. Senator Joseph Mullin of watertown
and the Commissions Secretary, Henry L. Abel
Of Brooklyn, were present to answer any In
Quirles in behalf of the Commissions work.
Treasurer Edwin II. Risley OF Utica represented
the Savage Arms Company. B. Burton of
Brooklyn the Burton gun. and John Henry
Blake OF New York the Blake gun.
TrGas urcr Rsley of the Savage Arms Company
sad in opening, that IL any allegations were
made against the integrity OF the Savage Com
pany the company desired the opportunity to
file answering ailidavits.
len. Trncy said le had objection to this.
lie then spoke against the Governors approval
of the Commissions report. Gen. Tracy said no
law ought ever to be allowed to go into effect
which limited the selection of the new arm to
any gun of American invention. 1t was the
duty OF the State to select the best arm manu-
factured in the world and for this reason. il no
other. the Governor could not afford to approve
the selection of the Savage gun without know
ing whether there was n better. Further. tho
Savage gun was an untricd experiment No
nation had ever adoptcd II, no ordnance officer
ever selected it. and the mem bers of the Com
certainly no experts in the matter Of small
Mr.. Bliss, Mr.. shaw. and Prof; Thurston
of Cornell. tho members of the Commission.
never had any education permitting them to be
considered as judges of guns; In 1893 the say
as unfit for use in the army. The arm broke
down during the tests made by an army Com.
mission. mt the head of which was that trained
army officer. Gen. OTIS An abstract OF the re-
port OF the Otis Commission WAS read for the
inf2rmHion of the G".ermo pae n system npo9
UNIT for the manu!nC'ure OF an effective gun
for tho M army ThS fsets as to the tssts S.s
proved in no single particular that the Savage
gun was superior TO the Winchester gun.
Wherever facts and figures were at stake it was
John H. Blake of New York. for the Blake
gun. endorsed all that Gen. Tracy had said. He
Edwin ii. Rslcy of the Savage Arms Company
of Utica referred to the very general diversity
of opinion existing as 20 which was the best
modern gun. and showed how the krag-J6rgen-
son gun, before It's adoption by the United
States, had never been adopted by anS OF her
army nation. Because the Savage gun Lad
never been adopted by any nation need not
therefore be held against it. Two Governments.
French and English. had repudiatcd the Clip
rapid work Of the Winchester gun. As to
aihdayit from Nlr. Savage that he in
XGp1ed Itn - the Enn ssveral S years ago while
can invention and OF American manufacture.
MIR. Risley presented atildavits in proof of his
statement. lie denied he statement made by
Gen. Tracy that tie savage gun had broken
dow at the time OF the test. This was not so.
no; broken. Mr.. III ley then gave an ilustra-
zion OF rapid firing BY the Savage gun, and by
chester arm lie would acknowledge that tho
Winchester gun had won the test on accuracy
of shooting. but this was due to the fact that
while the Winchester was operated by the best
marksman on the continent. the Savage gun
US operated all the while by savage himself,
who was afflicted with defective eyesight.
Gen. Tracy said he had not intended 70 try to
prove any cOlusion or TO bring scandal into
this case. still. the argument presented by Mr..
Ri-ley compelled him to make a statement He
then SAID that tier. WAS IA remarkable similar
tty between the requirements as to the excel
lcICy OF the gun to be selected and the cata aloRue
Of the savage Arms tompany. The General
then read extracts from the eleven salient points
to be required of the gan TO be adopted. and In
the catalogue Of the Savage Arms Company.
even II - grains OF powder and construction OF
the cartridges. he read similar points in Connec-
tion with the savage gun.
What" asked the General. docs such O
similarity between these points and the Savage
gun catalogue mean? Is 1t merely coinci-
dence. or is there IA suggestion OF something
else -
The General closed his remarks by looking
directly at the Governor and saying. THE man
who would approve Of this report under these
circumstance would be everlastingly con-
demned.'
Gov. Morton said that he would not decide
the case this week.