Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-11
TAvENNER,s BRAVE FIGHT

Instead of persisting in his deter
mination to firmly establish the inhu-
man Taylor system in government ar
senals it would seem to be more be
coming in General William Crozier,
chief of ordnance of the war depart
ment of the United States, or the
friends OF the general, to answer the
showing made by Congressman Clyde
II. Tavenner on the floor of the house
of representatives. Sufficient time has
been given for reply, If there is any
disposition to make one.
Representative Tavenner is fighting
two policies of General Crozier that
the latter has shown no disposition to
deviate from. One is the giving or
contracts TO certain private manufac-
turers at what Tavenner charges are
outrageously excessive prices, and the
other Is that of introducing the obnox-
ious Taylor system into the govern
ment arsenals.
Tavenner has made definite, specific
assertions. concerning the acts of the
chief of ordnance which at least raises
a question of the judgment of that off,
Ger in matters OF vital Importance to
the nation.
One of them involves the alleged
acceptance Of favors from the Bethle-
hem Steel company, to which is annu-
ally awarded government contracts
running into the millions and at prices
which il is asserted are from 20 to 60
per cent more than it would cost the
government to turn out the same ar
ticles in its own arsenals.
Another is in connection with the
manufacture OF a disappearing gun
carriage in which General Crozier and
another army officer hold patent
rights. These carriages, made by the
Bethlehem people, are said to have
been offered to certain foreign govern
ments. Though they were rejected on
the ground that they were impracti-
cal, if they had been purchased and
used in a war against the United
States the spectacle of American sail
ors and soldiers being killed and
MANNED with a weapon in the building
and sale OF which an American army
officer was interested would have been
presented. That these same gun car
riages were not impractical, as
/ claimed, has been pretty we'll estab-
I lished since, the United States gov
eminent having bought and used some
| $4,000 900 worth OF them.
! Tavenner contends that an army Of
ficer, sworn in the service and on the
| payroll of this country, is under obi
| cations to avoid being placed in such
| a position, and furthermore, that he
| has no right to have any business re-
! lations with any firm with which he
may subsequently be required to deal
as a representative of this govern
! ment
The fundamental principle upon
which all legitimate business is trans
/ acted-that each side shall be repre-
| sented solely by persons wholly de-
voted to its own interests-has been
violated IL what Tavenner contends is
/ true.
Practically without aid from his as
| sociates in congress TavenRer is fight
| ing the ammunition ring. the armor
ring. the shipbuilding trust and all the
| friends and defenders of the three of
| them whenever and wherever he finds
| them.
He refuses to be bulldozed or brow
beaten or turned aside. He has just
! started TO fight. II his constituents
will stand by him he may be relied
upon to eventually drive the whole
crowd away from the public crib.
How earnestly he is throwing him
self into this fight was shown a week
/ ago. when after coming out to his
| home at Cordova for a two weeks
rest with his family in his coy little
/ home, he was informed that a new
/ effort was to be made at once to
| foist the Taylor system upon govern
| ment shops, and this as much as any
! thing caused him TO change his plans
and hurry back TO Washington. Tav-
enner arrived in Cordova a week ago
yesterday, but he had not gotten his
trunk unpacked when he received i'm
| portant wires from Washington indi-
eating what was going on. and that
] his presence was required. Instead
| OF remaining a couple of weeks, he
| left for Washington Saturday night,
and events OF this week have shown
the renewal Of General Crozier's op-
position to the Tavenner bill to elm
mate the Taylor system.
] Yesterday Tavenner's efforts were
crowned with success, when the COM
mittee on labor OF the house reported
out a bill knocking out the stop watch
| and other iniquitous features OF the
Taylor system, and providing fines and
| imprisonment for violations.
Tayenner has proven himself the
man on the job.