The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-07-12
FOOD BILL Jobs
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Senate Cuts Out Provision
Putting Hoover Board in
Civil Service
PENROSE AND LODGE
ARRAIGN DEMOCRATS
Latter Says to Resort to Party Lines in
Making Appointments Is to Put Food
Military Abuse

WASHINGTON, July u. - The portal |
for the introduction of political prefer
ment in lieu of merit as the standard for
appointments to the various major and
minor offices OF the proposed food admin
istration bureau was written into the pend
ing food control bill yesterday BY vote
oil IS to "A the senate adopted the pro-
vision appropriating s2,50O,00 for the
salaries of officials and struck out the
provision which the House had included
under which these appointments were
10 have been made from the ranks of
the civil service and under civil service
rules
The proposal was warmly attacked hy
Senator Lodge. who alleged that the ac
tor proposed in the Senate was Ha
grant and unjustitiabe attempt to load
the new hurcau with partisans Of the
Administration and to pay political obi
cations
10 resort to partnership, to draw party
lines, in making these appointments is
to put food control in serious peril,
SAID Senator Lodge. 1T is injecting poll
tics into war measure IN the most often
slvc way imaginable.
Senator Penrose also entered the dis
cussion and araigned the majority for
fntludng politics or the opportunity for
the administration to indulge in political
debt paying
1t is done to provide sinecures for
deserving Democrats, he asserted
These loyal war horses must be cared
| FOR, and by eliminating civil service the
administration can crowd the food CON
/ troll up with them | don't suppose for
a moment that these deserving Democrats
will be appointed because OF their partic-
uar knowledge Of agriculture or horticul-
/ ture or anything else that will come with
/ in their puryicw They will simply be
| appointed to fat Jobs because they are
Democrats. The conscript army that will
| tight in France will he made mp of Re
\ pnbhtans,h while the easy, comfortable
jobs behind desks far from the danger
zone will be held down by Democrats
i have not any doubt that the food
controller will he a hrigadier general Of
something like it and he will wear uni
folm with shiny buttons and spurs Anc
Il suppose lie will draw his sword 81
I farmers who don't get around fast enough
To suit HIM The food control bureau vii
he a military adjunct to the government
and | imagine it will be a most imposing
one with the uniformed controller as it
: dlgnIiicd general and ALI the loyal Demo
, Gratis from back home wearing Khaki an,
looking quite smart
! While ! am about it | want to tel
the senate that | intend some day t
offer resolution calling on Secretary O
War fol Il list Of civilians who have bee
}, elevated 10 high military rank while st
!, performing civilian duties This | do no
! hesitate to say is one Of the creates
abuses Of military authority that has bee
:, perpctratcd in this war The list | spea
!. : OF once the senate gets i viii be found t
be 50 grotesque as to furnish burnin
scandal IN this Government
Z senator Chamberlain defended the a,
pointmcnt Of civilians to military rank i
!, certain phases of war activity as havin
been authorized under law recent
!, passed. The appontccs were chiefly ei
i gagged in survey work and had the ran
u o. major
; 'Ncs. and from what | have heard
! lot OF them don't know enough of mil
ta,y tactics to drill ten men without ge
!; ting them AL tangled mp in their feet,
= rctorted Senator Penrose.
Following the adoption Of the amcn'
= ment with the civil service clause elm
D mated Senator Penrose exclaimed
u II want to 90 on record right here ;
J. predicting that before the end OF this Coz
gtess we shall see the President appoin
- ing Democrats to every one OF the Office
! provided for in the food control bill :