Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-15
SAY BLUNT STAYS
Later Washington AdVices Dis
credit Proposed Transfer
of Commandant.
PAID COMPLIMENT BY GEN. oRozIBR
En- pIoyes Declare They Have No
Complaint Against Arsenal
Officer.

y dispatch from Washington, APP
pearing in today's Chicago Chronicle,
says:
Maj. Blunt, commandant of Rock
Island arsenal, is i'm no immediate
danger of being removed from that
post. No request for his removal
has been made to Gen. Crozier, chief
of the bureau of ordnance and Gen.
Crozier says that he expects none.
President Roosevelt several months
ago took up charges which were
made by certain labor leaders
against Maj. Blunt, but he has never
acted upon them.
Senator Cullom says that he has
made no request for the majors
transfer, and while he thinks that
such transfer might result benefic-
tally he is not disposed to interfere.
General Crozier says that Maj.
Blunt is one of the best officers at
tachcd to the bureau and that his
record is without blemish."
Maj RIunt Talks.
while l am not at liberty, and
have no disposition to discuss any in
formation that emanates from Of
fetal sources regarding this mat
ter" said Maj. Blunt to an Argus rep
resentative this morning. Il have no
hesitancy i'm saying that as far as
Mr.. Berry'S statement is concerned
that none of the men who went on
the strike are now employed at Rock
Island arsenal-he is very greatly
mistaken. As . matter of fact near
~ twenty of the number who struck
are now at work in the machine
shops. and the reason, the only rea-
son. that more of the same men are
not at the arsenal is that / have been
compelled to make reductions be
cause of lack of work in consequence
of nop-receipt of orders. On the
same account l greatly fear that
further reductions will be necessary
before the end of June. No new or
derS for gun carriage work have
come for two years. and as most of
the work of this class is in the ma
chine shops / have of necessity been
obliged to reduce the forces there.
The only reason, as / say, that no
more than twenty of the men who
struck, and who have desired to go
back to their old places have not
been restored. is that there is moth
ing for them to do.
Statement From Men.
\ representative Of the Rock Island
arsenal force has brought the Argus
statement of the conditions that
prevail at the shops at the present
time, asserting that after Il thorough
canvass the men are unanimous in
| the declaration that they have no
grievance at the present time and
setting forth that if there is any
cause for complaint they would like
to have it explained. The represent
ative of the shop men declares that
no authority has been given to make
complaint ON behalf of the employees
at the arsenal and that there is no
friction there or occasion for it,.
Said the representative of the men:
LAS far as union men being employed
at the arsenal is concerned, the sit
uation may thus be summed up by
shops:
Harness department, 200 men, of
whom 200 are union men.
'Polishers' department, no union
men.
Equipment, no union men,
Carpenter shops, half and half.
Machine shops, no union men.
''Moldcrs, all but two are union
men.
Blacksmith shop, majority are
union men.
''Of all the men interviewed today
but three men in the machine shops
were Tron-committal in the statement
that there was no cause for com
plant on the island. As tor the no
talk rule. it was there before Maj.
Blunt came and is Il dead letter as
far as enforcement is concerned