Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-06-29
THE WISDOM OF GOVERNMENT
MANUFACTURES OF MUNITIONS
OF WAR.

F'rom the speech of Congressman
William E. Cox Of Indiana.)
Mr.. Chairman, insert one OF these
articles which recently appeared in
one of the little weekly papers of my
district;
BULLETIN NO. 3.
why not face the facts about armor
competition?
ITO the people: The policy of the
United States government for many
years has made real competition in
making ineffective.
1.-THE government might have asked
the three armor plants for bids and let
the entire tonnage to the lowest bid
der. That would have made COMPETE
ton effective.
THE result of such a course would
have been to drive two of the three
manufacturers out Of business and
leave the country with facilities Of
only one plant in time of need.
THE government in fact, has always
asked for bids from the three manu-
facturers, but no matter what the
price quoted, each years business
'Armor makers serve but one custo-
mer-the government-just as pub
lie utility serves but one CUSTOMER
community.
THE solution of the public-utility
problem is regulation of rates.
THE solution of the armor problem
is for the government to fix the price.
I'VE voluntarily agree to accept any
price fixed by the federal trade com
mission Isn't acceptance of that Of
fer better than the destruction of an
industry built solely to serve the gov
eminent?
BETHLEHEM STEEL CO.,
CHARLES M. SCHWAB. chair
EUGENE G. GRACE, president
Since when did this great trust see
, the light of day? What opened its
eyes? What induced it to turn from
its extortionate course and help at the
! hands of the people? What has caused
it to fly the signal Of distress at this
the 18th hour of the night? When die
it first begin this frantic appeal to thu
people for aid through the ad. route
| Silently and ruthlessly it has pursued
it's course of overcharge and extortio1
until this bill reached the calendar
then, like Paul, it saw vision loom
ing before its bright eyes; it saw a da.
of reckoning, day Of accounting, {
day of determination on the part of thu
people to free themselves from thit
vampire which, under the false pre-
tense Of patriotism, it has pretended
to serve the people, but in reality ha
robbed them as no pirate that eve
sailed the seas robbed his helpless ant
defenseless victims in the past.
l intend to vote for the armor plat
factory amendment, believing by 81
doing that we will take the manufac
ture of armor plate out of the hand
!; of the worst trust that ever had it
grip upon the navy department or an
, other department of the government
! There is but one person, and one only
. that can smash this monstrous trust
t and that person is Uncle Sam, backe
5 and supported by the taxing power @
= 100, 100000 people in continental Uni
: ted States. For almost a quarter &
} a century. our army and navy has bee
in the throes and in the hands of tn
| worst trust that ever fastened its ten
tacles upon an Independent liberty
t loving people.
AS compared to the munitions trus
| and the armor plate trust, the Stand
= ard Oil trust, the sugar trust, the tc
: bacco trust, the leather trust, an
2 many other of the hundreds of trust!
] sink into insignificance for greed an
: croft For preed and gain at tho on
l pense of the people, these trusts stan
? near to the top. Every other trust lag
/ far behind.
2 Mr.. Chairman. we are not without
}, precedents in this matter. We are nc
cropping in the dark. We are sailin
| on we'll charted seas. We have plat
r signboards of the past demonstratin