Gilpin observer., 1917-07-26
WASHINGTON NEWS
Congressman Keating)

bahieiS are ue-ermlneQ thaf the
young men who are about to be draft
ed by Uncle Sam shall be protected
from moral lerrosy.
If the local authorities will not
clean up the towns and cities in the
vicinity of training camps, then the
national government will undertake
to perform the task. Secretary Dan
iels has indicated what this means
by the way he took hold OF things at
Newport, Rhode Island. The Rhode
island officials refused to respond to
his appeals and he proceeded to STA
tion armed guards at the doors of
saloons, gambling houses and houses
of i'll fame.
That soon produced results.
| Now the secretary has taken up the
case of Philadelphia. The great
League Island navy yard is in the
suburbs Of that city. An investiga-
dcn by secret service men demon
scrated that the surroundings could
scarcely he worse. One of the most
corrupt rings in this country denim
aees the government of the City of
Brotherly Love and of course the sal
oon keepers and dive keepers have
things pretty much their own way.
Secretary Eariels has put the facts
before the Mayor of PhiladelT hia and
the governor of Pennsylvania and if
they dent act he will.
| Our duty is to make conditions
wholesome said the secretary re-
Gently. We must not stop at the
removal Of vicious resorts. We must
provide substitute recreations
sports and other first class entertain
ment."
lnsuring Our Sailors Lives.
A few weeks ago our government
undertook to Insure the lives CT Am
er1can seamen who entered the sub
marine zone. UP to that time, the
cargoes has been insured but the sail
OTIS had been left unprotected. If they
were sent to the bottom their depend
ents got nothing and If they were
seriously injured hey became the OBJ
jects of charity.
This was so manifestly unjust that
congress raised law compelling the
owners of vessels to insure their men
with the government warrisk bureau
ard to pay all premiums.
The first vessel TO be lost under
the new order was the Kansas which
was torpedCed July 1O.h with loss
OF four men. The dependents of
these sailors will receive 1920 and
draw accident insurance for stated
period.
More Steel Trust Robbery.
/ have received a letter from
prominent Colorado architect calling
my attention to the unjustifiable ad
vance in the cost of building mater
ials and suggesting that unless the
government takes steps 10 punish the
responsible rar,ies building opera
tions throughout the country must
of necessity be materially curtailed.
This gentleman assures me that
prizes have been Systematically ad-
vanced since 1914, but that since our
entrance into he war the advance
has been sensational. He writes:
1T has been plain to us who have
noted the rise in prices from time to
time, and have also seen The dimin-
ishing volume of building, that there
has heen most extraordinary 'prifit-
eering' in the items to which call
your attention"
Here are some of the items he sub
mits:
Reinforcing rods-Sept. 1914, $1.37;
January 1917, $4.7S.
"I' beams-Sept. 1914, $1.45; jan
uary 1917, s4.7S.
Castirgs advanced 100 percent in
six months.
Builders hardware advanced 1870
to $50 in cne year on top Of prev
ious advances.
Galvanized sheet metal was 1925
in September 1916, and now it is
SLIPS.
Sheet metal has gene from S3.S5 TO
$500 in the same time.
How the Trust Profits.
In this connection 1t Is Interesting
to note that The Common stock of
the steel trust was selling for S3S a
share at the crening Of the war and
that in June 1917, 1t was selling for
$l3i share.
This stock shct up 500 share
when newspaper story appeared
telling of the governments intention
to construct fleet Of steel ships
and 1t went down $4 a share In one
day when an intimation went out
frcm Washington that President VIII