New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-10
A KICK ABOUT THE NEW dON
PROTEST AGAINST THE ADOPTION OF
THE SAVAGE INVENTION
THE WINCHESTER AND OTHER CONCERNS IN
rEREsTED IN THE TEST FOR THE Ma
TIoNAL GUARD REARMAMENr
SAY THE REPORT IS
BiASSED
lSiASSED.

The adoption of the Savage gun for the rearma
-, % ,bo National Guard at n cost of over S5"o-
nno &c 10 he vigorously opposed by the winchester
Arms Company Of New-flaven. Conn., ana o'no'
gun inventors and manufacturers VINO en'oic" NV
tos, before the State Commission named TO select
a gun. They maintain that there WAS 0o'u''o
practised I'm the selection of the gun
There has been made to Governor Morton pro-
fest against his approval of the report hed by inc
commission named to recommend gun LOT 'hc use
of the National Guard of the State The Comi'ls
sion sent its report to the Governor about moh'h
ago and il was In favor Of the selection OF the
gun manufactured by the Savage Repeating Arms
Company of Utica. The protest comes from the
Winchester Arms Company and several other COM
panies and individuals who failed to secure the
approval as against the Savage gun.
The protestants contend that there seems to have
been collision between at least two members oil 'he
Commission named by the Governor and the sue
cessful competitors In the test: that the Commits
sion was selected through political influence; that
the Governor made an innocent party TO the
transaction and that whether or not the report IS
approved by the Governor, the matter VIII at the
next session OF the Legislature be made the subject
of legislative inquiry. The Winchester Arms Com
pany has requested a hearing before the Governor
and has retained General Benjamin +. Tracy as
counsel in the case. with David Welch as attorney
70 oppose the approval of the Commissions report
by the Governor.
allow
heard but will not consider the report until some
tine after he returns from his vacation. He will
grant the hearing after General Tracy returns from
Europe abou, September 90
The Commission named by the Governor consisted
o. Colonel Albert ID. Shaw. OF WATERFOWL, Il. W.
Bliss OF Brooklyn and Robert H. Thursion. OF
Ithaca The law under which the Commission was
named was chapter so of the Laws Of 1925. Under
+, the arms selected by the Commission shall be
adopted for the OF the military and naval forces
of the State provided the report OF the Commission
is approved by Governor Morton. After the report
is adopted the Adjutant- General Is authorized 10
contract for not to exceed 1900 rifles of the kind
sslec,tl by the Commission for the military and
naval forces of the State az a price not to exceed
see gun. which 10 be furnished WITHIN three
years after they contracted for.
In detail. what the claim OF the protestants VIII
be at the hearing is that direct connection can be
traced between two members of the Commission
and the promoters OF the Savage Gun Company,
and that it was the promoters of the Savage COM
pany who were instrumental in getting the bill
through the Legislature. using certain political in
iuence gain their ends.
The connection beginning at the foundation, Is
that some six years ago there came to Utica man
named Savage He was made the superintendent
of the Utica Belt Line Railroad and while hold
ing that position invented a gun. lie went to Ed
win H. Risley Of Utica, TO have his patent per- per-
lawyer perfected the patents and was successful
in having made a sample gun. Since that time Mr..
Risley and his friends have been trying to secure
recognition for the arm 10y having II adopted as
the proper one for the National Guard; They have
been almost successful the report needing only the
approval of the Governor and Adlutant-G General to
put 100000 into the hands Of the Savage Repeating
Arms Company. Those interested in the gun began
operations after Governor Mortons message TO the
LEGISLATURE I'm which he recommended that the
National Guard be rearmcd. An attempt was made
to have item for the appointment of a commits
sion and the payment of its expenses inserted in
the annual appropriation bill. This was abandoned,
as ii was found TO be unconstitutional The bill
was then drawn, the promoters Of the Savage gun,
it is alleged being the ones who caused the draft
ing OF the measure.
one of the Oneida County members of the Assembly
was asked Introduce it, but he refused The bill
was introduced by Henry f. Abel, of Brooklyn, who
afierWard became the secretary of the Commission.
Before the Commission named Endorsements
were received at the Executive Chamber from prom
inen Republicans throughout the State of the Com
missioners named by the Executive, and 50 strong
were the Endorsements, Governor Morton appointed
them 1t is alleged that the report was biassed
The Savage Repeating Arms Company i not. so
far as can be ascerta by the records incorporated
under the laws of the State Of New-York