Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-11
Rock Island Arsenal

In the annual report OF Chief Of
Ordnance William Crozier TO the secre-
tary of war. the following pertaining
10 Rock Island arsenal. commanded
BY Colonel George ". Burr. is con-
tanned:
The number OF receipts and issues
Of ordnance stores is not materially
different from last year. but the mum
Der of shipments Is somewhat less,
due in part to the absence Of 50 many
troops from the central department
and in part 20 the operation OF gen
eral order No. %. war department,
1912. which requires issues OF per
sonal and horse equipments and clean
ing and repairing materials TO post
ordnance officers. instead Of Organiza-
ton commanders The absence OF
troops from the central department
has resulted in larger issues 70 other
arsenals for reissue This branch OF
the arsenal's business, therefore re
mains essentially the same.
Additional Storage Space.
The increasing use for shop pur-
poses OF the buildings formerly used
as storehouses has emphasized the
need OF additional storage capacity
at this arsenal. Unless emergency
provision for shelter can be made.
much valuable artillery material Will
have TO be stored 10 the open In
1890 there were available for storage
= purposes 1J25.3S4 square feet OF
space. Due TO the occupancy for shop
purposes OF buildings temporarily
used as storehOUses. at the present
time approximately only 3O4.56S square
feet remain available In war emer-
z gency. with shop expansion imperative,
the storehouse situation ar this ar
senal would be almost hopeless.
The new filtration plant was COM
pleted and finally accepted Jan Il.
1913. since WHICH date ir has been in
: operation. An excellent drinking va
ter II being obtained. and. as the wa
ter mains gradually become cleaned.
water from the mains is being used IN
all departments of The arsenal.
Scientific Management.
The work OF installing the system
ization and Standardization features
OF the Watertovu arsenal system or
shop and stOrchOuse management, be
gun at this arsenal in September.
11slI. mas made gratifying progress
during the year. The responsible en-
ployes are gradually becoming famil-
far with the new methods and are ap-
: preciating their advantages. The en-
gineering division j. completely or
Eanized and is handling all expendi-
ture OF operation order=-a task Of
magnitude. a. 57g expenditure orders
were issued during the year. The
splanning room has completed route
sheets and assembling charts for
N any Of the arSenaIs most important
manufactures. n has materially In
(, creased the output and decreased the
-cust by improved methods. The sug-
gestion by the planning room OF i'm
proved methods Of doing work has
made the foremen more alert and
more suggestions than formerly for
increasing production are received
from them
All OF the raw material which was
stored in the attics and storeroOms OF
the different departments has been
brought together iu the material
storehouse and entered on balance Of
stores records A. result large guam
titles OF material which had been con-
sidered obsolete by one department
have been. and are being used in 9th
OF departments. Similarly. all steel
and brass formerly vsriously stored
have been collected i'm the steel store
room from which issues are made as
required The new storehouse meth /
DDS developed that large quantities OF
steel and other materials we're on
hand which will now be utilized. where :
suitable. before further purchases are F.
made. The saving 70 the government
from bringing 70 attention and using
these forgotten OF supposedly obsolete .