Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-31
CONGRESSMAN TAVENNER'S FIGHT
AGAINST THE WORLD WAR TRUST

Hon. Edward Heating, congress
man at large from the state of Col
orado, the man who brought about
the congressional investigation of the
Colorado coal strike. has written an
article for Colorado newspapers about
Congressman Tavenner's fight TO have
the government manufacture d larger
amount of its munitions at the Rock
Island arsenal
1Ir. Heating was for many years
editor Of the Rocky Mountain News of
Denver, Col. and declares Tavenner
is a living testimonial 10 his inability
to judge genius in the rough, as Tav-
euuer applied to him for a position
some 10 years ago, and Heating turned
him down Tayenner went his way
and made his mark
Here is what Mr. Heating now says
of Tavenner and the latter's fight to
have the profit taken out Of war and
preparation for war by having the
government manufacture all of its own
munitions:
are U0c]e Sans army and navy
officers wasting millions Of the
peoples money by paying exorbi-
tant prices for the ammunitions
of war? Is there an inner circle"
in the war and navy departments
which distributes juicy contracts
to firms which stand in" and in
cidentally boosts its members into
the most desirable beTths in the
army and navy?
Congressman Clyde H Tavenner
Of Illinois answers the first Ques-
tion with an emphatic Yes" and
as 10 the second-well, he gives
you some suggestive facts and
permits you to draw your own
conclusions.
Tavenner is not very large
physically, standing about five
feet six inches. and Weighing 1856
pounds. but he carries as much
nerve and intellect TO the square
inch as any man in congress. He
Is a living testimonial to the fact
that I am a mighty poor Judge Of
genius in the rough. Some 10
years ago. in those happy old DAYS
when I was a care-free newspa-
per man with nothing TO do but
TO take a daily shot at THE Beast
IN the Jungle Of Colorado-Taven-
ner wandered into my Office in the
Rocky Mountain News building
in Denver and asked for q job.
looked him over and decided he
would not do. So he went his
way and became a famous Wash
ington correspondent. Now he is
in congress and d million readers
refuse to partake Of their morn
ing bacon and eggs until they have
read "TaVenner's letter" in their
favoTite paper.
Fighting the Ring.
Rock Island is the principal city
in Tavenner's district, and the
war department has a big arsenal
there. Tavenner discovered that
the government was manufacture
ing things in this arsenal for from
20 to 60 per cent below the price
it was paying contractors. He in
troduced a bill providing for the
enlargement Of the plant through
the installation Of the necessary
machinery in two large unoccu-
pied buildings which had been
erected by Uncle Sam for another
purpose but never used
He thought his suggestion would
be received with loud plaudits by
the gentlemen who conduct the
ordnance bureau Of the war de-
partment. He had visions Of him
self being greeted as the white
haired boy who had made Il pos
sible for these faithful servItors
to show what they could do in the
way Of keeping dollars in Uncle
Sans pocket.
But he had not counted on the
pun Of the ammunition ring.
He told the story simply hut
convincingly to the house while
we were discussing the army ap-