Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-11-18
Term Sweat Shop" Wrongly
Used in Connection
With Arsenal.
LeTTERFR0M COL. SEE. BLUNT
Men Work Under Best of Surroundings
and Wages Average Higher Than
in Private Factories.

me country Dy the puDnc press de-
nunciation of the shops at this arsenal
while it possibly may not represent as
accurately as desirable the resolution
upon which it was based. is, however.
as reported so unqualified in its con-
demnation as 10 produce necessarily
an erroneous impression in the minds
of the general pubic and of the private
manufacturers who are striving for the
work now being executed at this ar
senal.
The report condemns the arsenal
shops as sweat shops" a term for
many years employed to describe build
lngs of insufficient size. poorly venti-
lated, poorly lighted. with wretched san
itary surroundings and conveniences.
and where workmen are huddled and
crowded together How inapplicable
such description is to the Rock Island
arsenal buildings or to the surround
ings of the workmen there employed.
is too well known in this community
to cause serious concern al home, but
unfortunately the vast majority of the
readers of the report are not so fully
informed and have no comprehension
of the magnificent buildings and the
elaborate plant that the ordnance de-
partment has established and has so
perfected in recent years.
Visitors Admire.
The foreign officer and the visitors
with experience in private shops, and
therefore with expert knowledge, as
well as the more casual observer. have
alNaVc InitaH in
siOns of their spacious accommoda-
tons, of the convenience for workmen,
and of their architectural beauty
Probably few public or private estab-
lishments in this country or abroad
equal in these respects the shops al
this arsenal. and the ordnance depart
ment as well as the citizens of the tri-
cities has always been justly proud of
their possessions in the Rock Island
arsenal. Ii is therefore particularly
unfortunate that a contrary and such
an erroneous representation should
have received such extensive circula-
ton.
Another. and more limited applica-
ton of the term sweat shop" is its
use to describe a system (as stated
by the Century dictionary by which
working people are furnished with en-
ployment at starvation wages" Here
again, however, the term with this re-
stricted meaning as completely fails to
express the actual conditions at the
arsenal, as ii does in its more general
understanding 10 describe the build
ings. Wages at the arsenal are not
nF h1tr 49,.
wages" On the contrary they rate on
the average higher than in the major
ity of private shops in the vicinity. as
has been ascertained by several official
inspections in recent years. and as is
shown by the information secured peri
odically from private establishments s
required by ordnance regulations
Whatever may be the contrary impress
siOns of some, these are the facts and
are not based upon impressions, but
upon the actual figures of the arsenal
payroll.
About Piece Work.
Some criticism of piece work"
method observed in portion of the
arsenals manufactures. has been made
by those opposed TO the system. and
this criticism, evidently through insult
f1cient information. has been applied
to the Rock Island arsenal as if the
method were peculiar to this establish
ment. or as if the present commandant
were responsible for its Inauguration.
The facts are, however. that the sys-
tenn has been in the past. and is at the
present time, largely followed in pri-
ia
country and today governs, among 9th
er ordnance establishments. in most
of the work al Frankfort arsenal, the
governments ammunition factory, and
at the Springfield armory where the
manufacture of small arms. but recent
ly commenced at this arsenal has been
prosecuted for the past 100 years.
The private factories where arms
and ammunition are now made in com
petition with the government aTsenals
and which have recently received con
tracts for such material. as our local
papers have lately so frequently re-
ported, also follow the system. and if
our local plant is to exist at all and EN-
ploy workmen, and if the other govern
ment factories are TO continue in OPP
Grafton il must be obvious that com
petition would soon drive them out of
business unless they followed the bust
ness methods of their rivals.
Follows Rules.
| am, however. not advocating or
even defending the system and neither
am | cOndemning il. for my personal
opinions are of no Importance in COM
parison with the plain letter of the
law which | have no option but to OBJ
serve. The requirements in this re-
spect are contained in the ordnance
regulations prescribed and published
by order of the secretary of war in
1877, which specify that 'workmen in
an armory, arsenal or other ordnance
establishment are paid. as far as practi-
cable by piece work. and further.
when representations in recent years