The Stanford interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1911-1912, 1912-01-16
HARVEY HELm's WORK
STRONGLY COMMENTED
leulsNne Times Points Out Great
Saving To Taxpayers a. Re-
sut q Me Werk

That great democratic daily, The
Louisville Times. apprentices the
splsndid work Congressman Harvey
Helm N doing In Congress right now
toward saving the people Of the
nation from ten TO thirty millions
Of dollars year. A leading edi-
torial in the Times last week said in
cufi:
Politicsi Army Posts.
In 1890, the pesiou list payments
were increased from $4,000, 1000 q
year TO a total of $lj5.000,000 n
year. The consideration was not
the relief of the pensioners, but the
necessity of finding n politically
advantageous way TO get md of
the surplus produced by a prohibi-
tive tariff. The Sherwood bill.
which passed the House some weeks
ago, chiefly through the instrument
tally Of Democratic votes, proposes
TO add another SI5,O0O,OOO a year
Ntt DuN w
defeated in the Senate or voted by
the President, it will cause some
question in the mind of the average
citizen n to the sincerity of the
Democratic demand for economy
.snd tariff revision To revenue
basis, since on suchh basis
the Sherwood law wauld con
tribute materially to an annual de
fici; IN The matter of government
maintenance. Under ,hese circum-
stances, u - somewhat encouraging
to observe that individual Demo
Gratis here and there are trying to
do something IN the way of actual
economy. II j. distinctly pleasing
that one of that number shoald be
"a Ken,uckian and that he appears
TO he working along practical lines
to produce practical results.
The Times IL IN receipt of copy
of the speech recently delivered by
Representative Harvey Helm ON the
I subject Of expenditure for army
posts. According to Mr. Helms
figures, IN army of about 10000
men is quartered IN l16 posts, or
!. subs;siions. The cost OF these posts
amounts up TO date to over s9i.0Oo-
HOO~from which is to be deducted
$1,000. 900 expended for the con-
struction Of office quarters, leaving
a total Of something over thou
sand dollars for the establishment
of quarters for ever, enlisted man.
In order Ia maintain these posts,
.,n annual cost of Sli,0O0.000 for
army transportation aud SbO0,OO0
additional for the travelling eap-n-
ses of tho officers * imposed. For
1912. the estimatr cost of INSTALL
ing, maintaining and repairing sew
.rage and waterworks systems NJ
the various posts is 5000. 203.22;
Of heating, s2.ls7,s5o and Of light
ing 81 1906. 652.SJs
Later IN the course of his speech
Mr.. Helm quotes Gen. Wood, the
suiCl OI rkalis ~ p'A''' NV
committee that. at the recent mob
tsniion in Texas;
"Troo,S had 10 be brought from a
good many stations rather than
few and, ut each station, we had TO
leave q certain number of people
a. caretakers, We had to assemble
troops from remote points and in
very small units. The scattered
condition Of our army has render.
81 Instruction by officers in com
maDA VI large bodies e troops prar-
tically iuposSibl,. except on IN"
rare occasion or ioint maneu'"T1
With the militia. The great objec-
ton 10 TIE Smn post trou. an econ
omicai standpoint is that II requires
practically the same machinery a.
Al large post, and, from a military
standpoint. il is undesirable, rs II
tends To ineifciency because of .hr
small size &C the garrison"
The remedy for these conditions
proposed b, Mr.. Helm is that sho
smaller posts be disposed Of to the
various States To be used Ms State
institutions anu that the money ~
obtained be used to enlarge posts
with suitable railroad facilities ana
competitive transportation by water
and ra'l so as TO reduce transpor-
.ation rates and the cost Of sup
les. $500.
II this plan is followed, Mr.. Helm
believes that u saving of from $lO,-
100000 TO $4,000 900 year can
be effected. In view of the figures
presented. his estimate does not APP
pear extreme. That in amy event
q substantial saving can be effect
ed and military efficiency increas-
ed by doing away with political