The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-05-03
sDAY, May z. the Gem Matinee At the Opera House at Night Admission c
TRYING TO PUT UNCLE SAM BE-
HIND THE COUNTER

washington. May Through the per-
sistent efforts of Representatives Mar
tin B. Madden, Of Illinois, J. w. Lang
ley, Of Kentucky, John NJ. Rose, of
Of Ohio, and Loren Il. Wheeler and
Joseph G. Cannon Of Illinois. the
House recently defeated a new and
dangerous socialist,c proposal. The
measure under consideration was OF
Democratic origin and proposed that
all government officers and ec:Dlo ices
in the District of Columbia be permit
ted to purchase supplies at cost from
the commissary department of the
Army or Navy. 1t was also proposed
that the measure apply to all gov
eminent employees anywhere in the
United States. This, when once es-
tablished, would never have been re-
pealed, but would have been extend
ed until the government became the
retail storekeeper for the entire coun-
try.
Madden of Illinois started the fight
on this provision. He said, among
other things, There is not one
thousandth part as much reason or
justice in permitting the employees
of the Government to purchase their
food and other supplies from the
quartermaster stores of the Army as
there would be to permit the men who
dig the sewers and pave the streets
and do the common labor of the Unit
ed States, to do that. These are the
men who furnish the facilities, the
transportation, everything that goes
to make up the prosperity and rle-
serve the health of every community
in the land, and they toll fer not to
exceed one-half of the compensation
that the Government employees re-
ceive. Wry make the Gov arn-
ment employees preferred class?
There ought not to be any law passed
giving to any preferred class rights
that do not go to every class in the
country. We should in no instance
pamper the civil employees of the :
Government and discriminate against
every man, woman, and child in the
United States who happens by some
unfortunate chance not to be on the
Government pay roll"
Representative Langley of Ken
lucky followed with a statement that
he believed Government employees
should be paid adequate salaries,
which the House had already voted.
He also recalled the fact that Cen
gress has appropriated $lO00o.O0O
for construction of houses for Gov
eminent employees in Washington.
and then said, 81 think that is
enough. This proposition is to go
still further and give them food at
cut rates. That would, of course, in
crease the expenses of the Govern
ment, and am opposed to any such
socialistic proposition.
Representative Rose of Pennsyl-
vania pointed out particularly the OBJ
jectionable feature of the measure
which would permit members of Con-
gress to purchase supplies at cut
rates. He thought this even more OBJ
iectiOnable than the clause of the
revenue measure which may inter-
preted to exempt members of Con-
yress from payment of the excess
profits tax on their salaries. Repre-
Longworth of Ohio, and
of Illinois spoke against the
bill, showing that it was not favored
by the War Department and that it
would give the commissary depart
nent more work than it could do.
Uncle Joe Cannon closed the de-
bate, in which, it should be remark
I'd, all the advocates of an enlarged
government commssary were Demo-
rats and all the opponents Republic
,ans. Mr.. Cannon alluded to the
arge appropriations necessarily
made for war purposes, and to the
arge powers extended to the Food
administration, and asked, regarding {
he new proposal, do not you think
hat it is well for us to go a little s
lower? Let us do the necessary
hings to win this war, and let these
Employees, who will never smell gun
'owder and who are having their sal
ries increased, buy their supplies as
'thers do. Let us keep away from
in time of war"
BY Republican votes the measure
vaa dofaatad