The Coconino sun., 1918-11-01
WHY NOT SUPERVISE THE EXPENDITURE OF
 PEOPLES MONEY?
Republicans Want Checking System Used on the Many Billions
 of War Contracts.

WASHINGTON, D. C.-Congress- man Huddleston, Democratic repre- sentative of the Birmingham, Alaba- ma, district, has caused his Democrat ic colleagues great uneasiness by his remarks in the House, in which he charged there had been "gross waste and extravaganza, if not something actually worse" in the expenditure of the vast war appropriations. He said that not only the great army canton ments in the south, but other govern ment works all over the country have been constructed under a system that amounts to national scandal. Fur thermore, he charged that authori- ties are protecting contractors in their methods of waste and extravaganza Upon this point he said:
 q have received numerous
 complaints and criticisms of
 waste and graft of one kind and
 another regarding government
 work. have referred these
 matters to the proper authorities,
 but have been met by the answer
 that they are within the prov
 ince of the contractor on the
 work, and would be referred to
 him. Of course, the answers
 were polite, but absolutely noth-
 ing was accomplished.
 There are so many instances of
 waste and extravaganza that l
 would not have time to recount
 them. Grating is not only possi-
 ble but has actually occurred"
 Congressman Huddleston insisted that the time had come when there should be proper accounting of the expenditure of public money.
 In making these charges and in pro- posing some accounting system a check can be made upon public expenditures. Congressman Huddleston is but echoing what the Republicans have demanded since the early months of the war. When it was seen, early after the war had been declared, a multitude of con- tracts, each one involving tremen- dous amount of money, were to be awarded, Senator Weeks, Republican, of Massachusetts, in July, 1917, pro- posed that committee should be ere ated by Congress to supervise the expenditure of the appropriations Congress made. Although this pro- posal provided for bipartisan com mittee, thereby eliminating any chance of its being charged that the Republicans were trying to take ad- vantage of the situation. Senator Weeks proposal was rejected by the Democratic Congress.
 Democrats Oppose Supervision.
 Tn August of this year, the Repub- licans again proposed joint House and Senate Committee to supervise government expenditures. This pro- posal came before the Ways and Means Committee in the form of a resolution offered by Congressman J. Hampton Moore, Republican, of Penn sylvania. Like Senator Weeks reso- lution, this one provided for bi-par- tisan committee eminentlv fair in it's construction. In spite of this, how ever, it was voted down in the House Ways and Means Committee, every Democrat on the committee voting against it. The opposition to it was led by Congressman Kitchin. Demo- crat. of North Carolina. Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.
 No nation in the world is appro- priating and spending monew on the gigantic scale the United States is. Already is is planned to spend S37, ; 900 .000, 900 in the coming year.
 The Republicans feel the very great importance of having some committee to supervise these tremen- dous expenditures. Congressman Fess. Chairman of the Republican Congressional Committee. in a recent speech in the House. called attention to the need of some congressional committee to keep track of how the money which Congress appropriates, is spent. He called attention to the statement of Conpressman Huddles- ton that complaints regarding the waste and gross extravaganza of con- tractors. instead of being investigated bv the authorities to whom they were made. were passed on the the contrac- tors against whom they were made. The absurditv of expecting a contrac- tor to investigate himself and to find himself guilty of waste is apparent. Congressman Fess said:
 "It would seem to me that
 when we vote money to a depart
 ment and hold it responsible for
 it's proper application, if any in
 vestigation is to be made as to
 the application of that money. it
 is not for the department that
 spends it to make the investiga-
 tion. but it is for the department
 that gives it authority to expend
 it."
 MT. Tess emphasized the "surpris- ing sensitiveness of our Democratic friends. in their constant opposition to all efforts to have an audit made as to how the millions of dollars of the public's money had been ex- pended.
 Keep Track of Peoples Money.
 The American people have willingly raised the billions of dollars which have been appropriated, and they are willing to raise billions more. but there is a growing sentiment in favor of having some system inaugurated whereby there can be check on how the people's money is spent Obvious I-- ~ A. | I A.