Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-08-05
RUSH ORDERS OVER.
Reduction of the Force at Rock
Island Arsenal is
Begun.
DISMISSALS WILL BE GRADUAL

Although 1t Is Expected 1t Will BE
Many Months Before . Peace Basis
VIII Have Been Reached-Command-
ant s. L. Blunt Discusses the situa-
ton.
Peace negotiations in the American
Spanish conflict has had the effect of
putting damper on the hustle that
has been going on at Rock Island
arsenal the past few months. No
more rush orders are coming from
Washington, and it is to be expected
that there will be gradual reduction
Of the enlarged force. Commandant
Stanhope E. Blunt. when Intercepted
on the situation, said that it was his
belief that the work at the arsenal
would continue in excess of the peace
demands for many months.
However, he added. it is to be
expected that there will be gradual
reduction of men from this time
on. The number Of men dis
missed up to the present is in
considerable when the magni-
tude Of the force employed here is
considered. With dropping off Of
the orders must come dropping off
of the men. At the time the rush or
ders came my instructions, for in
stance, were to get out 5000 canteens
day, or more if could. | succeeded
in raising the amount to 5000 dav
and this for 80 DAYS more than filled
the demand.
But they were needed. and many
of the troops were without them, so
that was compelled to get Just as
many men as could. and get them
out just as fast as | could. 1t was
much the Elm other departments.
1t was matter of get-up-anddust all
along the line, and we did Just as
much of it as we could in the shortest
possible time. The troops were raised
and mustered in faster than they
could be supplied, but when this
lplant got to working at its capacity il
was not long until we were pretty
well caught up with the orders
Where the Force Has Been Reduced.
The men who have already beer
dismissed are from the tin shops, the
machine shops and the polishing de.
APARTMENT. From this time on there
Twill be dismissals, but they will be
made no faster than is absolutely nee.
essary. 1t is, as matter of course
impossible to state how long the or.
ders will continue to come in, but
feel that it will be several months vel
before the work is very greatly re-
duced. We are taking on no more
men, and will not. but we still have
$500 of them at work.
Il will keep men in employment a.
long as orders will justify. Wher
the department called on me to turn
out certain amount of equipment il
a stipulated period, l was obliged tt
do it, either at the arsenal shops o
with the assistance of private firms
l preferred, of course, to give tn
lpeople of this vicinity the benefit, an,
as result many have received EN-
lployment-I wish l could say it woul
continue-at good wages
; Maj. Blunt has not only main
tanned, but added to the reputatio
which Rock Island arsenal has won i
being known as the greatest on tn
globe. Much significance attaches
. this demonstration of the unlimite
capacity of this institution, as til
future promises to develop.
Even after the arsenal has settle
down again to peace basis it is b
, lieved its working force will he larg,
by several hundred than it was wht
! the war rush was inaugurated.