South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-09-04
u. 8. PAYS TOO
MUCH FOR MAKING
Of AMMUNITION
So Asserts Rep. TaVenner in
Defense of Bill to ManufaC-
ture Field Artillery at Rock
Island Arsenal.
BY gibson GARDNER.


not imagine any good reason why the
government Of the United States
should pay 10 private contractors
twice as much for a manufactured ar
ticie as the same article can be pro-
duced for in government shops" said
Rep. Clyde II. Tavenner of Illinois
Tuesday. Tavenner has introduced
into the house a series OF six bills to
provide for government manufacture
OF field artillery and small-arms am
munitiOn at the Rock Island arsenal,
Illinois.
The government is now paying to
private manufacturers $25 for Al
inch sharpnel. the ammunition used
for heavy artillery" continued Trav-
enner. while at the same time 1t is
manufacturing the same article in it's
Frankfort arsenal, at Philadelphia,
for $12.52. This Is only a sample of
the way private interests are mulct-
ing the government" he continued.
Can't Tell Why.
why has this condition existed ?"
Rep. Tavenner was asked.
Il have tried to find a reason" he
replied. Il confess that 1 cannot
answer Nobody in the department
can give me a reason. But the ques-
ton is. Will the government continue
10 pay private manufacturers these
exorbitant prices when IL has the
means to produce the articles itself at
a less cost2 have introduced in
congress a series Of six bills providing
for a total appropriation Of $1,030,000
to enlarge the plant at the Rock
Island arsenal Rock Island, Ill. so
that the government may manufac-
ture it's own field artillery equipment
and ammunition and small arms
cartridges. The federal government
is in a peculiarly favorable situation
at Rock Island to undertake this
work. There is available in the
Mississippi river abundant water
power to furnish the energy TO har-
ness all the machinery that could
possibly be needed The government
has a dam and power plant in the
river already There are also a num-
Der Of buildings, constructed original
~ for Misunderstanding plants now
on the Rock Island reservation, which
are being used simply for storehouses.
Thus, at a comparatively moderate
cost, Uncle Sam can so into the bust
ness of supplying himself with this
ammunition and equipment, and save
an enormous amount of money. The
program OF the war department calls
for S20,0OO,OOO worth Of field artillery
ammunition. for instance on this
one item alone, the government
Just how much the United States
government has paid in excessive
prices TO private manufacturers for
army and navy materials in the past
90 years, L would hesitate to guess
at. But ] have not the slightest
doubt in the werld that the sum
would equal the cost of an entire
fleet of modern battleships. l believe
IL is time TO stop this waste. That is
why 1 have introduced these bills"
Because the states Of Minnesota.
South Carolina, Georgia, Iowa and
Virginia objected 10 the enforcement
OF an eight-hOur day in cooperative
road work between those states and
the federal government, Atty. Gen.
McReynOlds has rendered an opinion
multiplying the eight-hour provision of
the federal aid" section of the post
office appropriation act. The act pro-
vides for 100000 to be expended by
the secretary OF agriculture in CO.
operation with the postmaster general
and the several states in road inn
provement. The states named object
ed 10 the enforcement of an eight
hour day on this work. The matter
was put up TO the attorney general,
who has rendered the following Opin-
ion:
Taking this provision as whole,
i think u may De SAID 10 authorize
the actual work OF road improve
ments contemplated 10 be done by
the state or local municipality in
which the road lies and 10 which 1t
belongs, the federal government
merely selecting the road TO be i'm
proved, and, through the secretary of
agriculture, supervising the perform
ance of the work, the cost of the
same TO be betrayed as provided in
the act. II this course be followed
the federal statutes regulating hours
OF labor will not apply. LabOrers and
mechanics who engage In such work
will not be employed by the govern
ment Of the United States. nor is a
road so improved a public work of
the United States within the meaning
OF the act Of Aug. 1, 1892"
There are a lot OF people In Wash
ingtOn and elsewhere who are dis
posed 10 look upon such an interpre-
tation as rather narrow.