Rock Island Argus., 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 VIII BE
Many Months Before . Peace Basis
VIII Have Been Reached-Command-
ant s. E. Blunt Discusses the situa-
tion.
Peace negotiations in the American
Spanish conflict has had the effect of
putting a 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 interrogated
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 a gradual
reduction of men from this time
on. The number of men dis
missed up to the present is in
considerable when the mapni-
tude Of the force employed here is
considered. With a dropping off of
the orders must come a 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 l 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 l was compelled to get just as
many men as could and get them
out just as fast as ] could. 1t was
much the same.in other departments.
1t was matter of fget-up-and-dust 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
plant got to working at its capacity it
was not long until we were pretty
well caught up with the orders.
Where the Force Has Been Reduced.
The men who have already been
dismissed ale from the tin shops, the
machine shops and the polishing de-
partment. From this time on there
willbe 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 vet
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.
II will keep men in employment as
long as orders will justify. When
the department called on me to turn
out certain amount of equipment in
a stipulated period, was obliged to
do it, either at the arsenal shops or
with the assistance of private firms.
preferred, of course, to give the
people of this vicinity the benefit, and
as result many have received en-
Iployment-I wish l could say it would
continue-at good wages.
Maj Blunt has not only main
tained. but added to the reputation
(which Rock Island arsenal has won in
being known as the greatest on the
lglobe: Much significance attaches tc
this demonstration of the unlimited
capacity of this institution, as tn,
future promises to develop.
Even after the arsenal has settled
down again to a peace basis it is he
lieved its working force will he large
by several hundred than it was whel
the war rush was inaugurated.