The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-07-22
PAGES RECORD
Former Progressive Leader Criticises
The Senator.

rorWcr progressive Icddcr kfitiCiSCS
The Senator.
Editor of The Banner: Senator |
Page, seeking reelection from the
State of Vermont to the United States
Senate, seems TO be basing his reasons
for the statement that he should be
reelected on his record while in
Washington and his work on the vari-
Gus committees ON which he has
served while there. In one Of his let
tiers he states as follows:
Whenever the Republican party
returns to power in the Senate my
rank is such that | can select the
Craftsmanship of either the Committee
on Printing, Indian Affairs or Agri-
culture and Forestry"
He also refers to the fact that his
standing on the Committee on Naval
Affairs would be very good
Admitting that he could personally
select the Craftsmanship of these COM
mittees If he desires and that the Re-
publican party will come back into
power next fall, would it not be well
for Senator Page to state to his con-
stituency why he voted against the
Hollis Rural Credit Bill as long as he
seems to have in his power under the
above stated conditions, the ability to
be made Chairman of the Committee
on Agriculture? A very large proper
ton of his constituency are farmers
and will be affected by the successful
working of the Hollis Rural Credit
BIZ.
have seen Senator Pages state
ment in this matter in which he sue
cessfully lodges the interrogation by
q clever detour, calling the attention
81 the interrogation to the fact that the
Rural Credit bonds of this banking
| scheme would be non-taXable in the
| Stategof Vermont, which is not rele-
want to the matter at all as to the mer-
its of the bill itself He also refers to
| the speech OF Senator Cummings OF
Iowa in which he refers to this parti-
cular feature of the bill and in which
| speech Senator Cummings falls back
on the old hackneyed phrase that the
bill was unconstitutional" We in
| Vermont are not particularly interest
ed in Senator Cummings idea along
the lines of the constitutionaity of
this bill. We wish to know why Sen
ator Page voted against it,
Ialso note that ON July 10Th letter
purporting to come from Senator Page
to his constituents in Vermont called
their attention again to the fact that
he was staying close to his post of
duty at Washington. If | am informed
correctly, during the week Of July Il
the Naval Appropriation Bill, carrying
the most important changes In our
Navy which have been made for many
years, was up for final discussion.
find that Senator Page was not In
Washington that week but was in the
State of Vermont-apparently not foi
the purpose OF assisting the Greater
Vermont association TO become a sue
cess but for the purpose of maintain
ing political lobby at the meeting OF
the Greater Vermont association fol
his own re election. II Is apparent
that he did not consider that he was
needed on the Naval Committee al
Washington during that week and il
. he was not needed on the Naval Com
mittee during that time he never will
be and his appeal TO his constituency
on the basis Of his committee ap
pointments apparetly is without any
valuc.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts
who is also candidate for reelection
was member of the Naval Committee
and we find by the press quotations
that he considered II necessary to be
in Washington during the considera
ton OF the bill. do not find in any o
the press dispatches concerning tn,
consideration of this bill from its in
ception any mention Of Senator Pages
name or OF his work either for Of
against the bill. Naturally man who
has served eight years in the United
States Senate has. per force of circum
stances, committee appointments.
is new thought, however to tn,
writer at least, that these appoint
ments were given out on the basis Of
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