Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-03-05
ARSENAL MAY Be
FORCEDTO CLOSE
FROM FILIBUSTER
Two Of BIIla Talked % Death II Senate
Only Source 81 Rsvsuue 70
Operate Plant.
ADMIT GRAVITY OF SITUATION
ordnance Department Authorities Here
Sag Fund On Hand 10 Enough
- Last I nth July.

The aenats dIibUstar yesterday
spelled havoc FOR Rock Island arsenal.
II Killed the army biLl carving
1887 200 COO from which appropriation
ms operating fuads Of the local gov
eminent plant comes. If killed the
sondry civil appropriation bin, which
provided almost S. 600 605 for ez1aa-
sions a. TIE arsenaI.
what viii this mean for Rock island
arsenal
That was the absorbing topfc Of con-
versstlou here today. Colonel George
W Burr CruIaudaLt " the arsenal
declared that there would be 10 inn
mediate shutdown Of the government
plant, II viii be operated on the pres
emf working force until Eha funds give
out There is a sufficient amount Of
nonav on hand To operate for q short
time, perhaps until jury l.
After that, what2
President Wilson declares Eaa1 there
wtll be no special session Of congress.
This means that not until December
viii there be an 0pportunitg for q con
Rress 70 vote appropriations for the
maintenance Of the arGeuaI8.
Unless some emergency BCttou IS
taken iu the meantime It IS generally
believed I'm the tri-clGss that the arse
nal would eventually be closed down .
until some appropriation iB made. This
would arrow 3sLo0 men out of work .
Unless there IT, some remedial action .
taken the Lrt-cfUes viii suffer e blow f.
from which 81 VIII take q. long time t9 F.
recover.
i was considered probable today
that the commercial end Industrial or
gentzatious % tbe trt-ctEIas would 5u-
sttute "A campaign IN an effort TO cause .
sons action 70 be taken 70 secure funds .
Tor the arsenal Ic was believed here
that the only channel through which F.
this could be done ts by q. special zez-
sion q congress.
= a Precedent.
AS far as ts known fhs present E.eua-.
rtou is rhe first OF it's kind confronting
Rock Island arsenal. There have been
times In the Tong session Of congress
when the arsenal has been hung up
pending action on lLe army bill bat
no one recalls time when In e "short
session" bills Of vitaT import t0 t1a
arsenal have been killed by g. dlfbUster
or other means.
Rock Island arsenal authorities adj
nit The gravity or tho situation
confederation was given at tins local .
government plant today g steps which
would be taken tn meet Che ratre1cr-
nenE which VIII be Necessary q 81 res
SUIT 81 the death q the two bills which 4
meant so much for the arsenal
Colonel Burr declared thar the urlr-
sipal appropriation for the arsenal
comes from the army bin The exact a
amount cannot be figured, as the war e
apartment authorities iu Washfnzrcn L
make the allotment from the general q
appropriation. The bin provides GER p
ain sums for the manufacture 81 GER Z
am ordnance department equipment
Z does not specify where 81 shall be b
Manufactured. The war department
f1cisls direct the expenditures. r.
The army bill. however. 3s the source
rom which the entire maintenance and E,
peratlug fund OF the arsenal IS se- r
ured. The bill, If passed. would have f
1eant millions of dollars Tor the Il
rsenaL
Carried e4.000.000. o
The sundry civil bin carried prnet- r
ally @1.S65.ooo for increasing facir.-
es for the manufacture Of field 4rrfI- in
ny materials and S560050 to EI.251.- +
10 for completing facilities Tor che 10
auufacture Of field artillery ammurf- sF
on including buildings at the arsenal 10
ppended is the appropriation 10 de- z.
III I'm this bill for the Rock Island M
'seual, t0taling S3.9Q9.Io0. lie
For additional amount for bath and
iIct room addition TO barracks blrE- IA
z $4,000
For increasing the facilities for the -zr
anufacture Of field artillery mate -r-
al. including the necessary huff6fDrz +s
"a equipment and for providing ad- b.
lonaI storage space and other store