New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-06-07
SIX MILLION FOR
new JOBS OPPOSED
BY coNGREssMEN
WHEN MEN WHO ACTUALLY
PRODUCE CROPS ARE NOT
EXEMPT THOSE WHO
TALK ABOUT PRODUCING
MUST NOT Bl FAVORED

Washington. June -Extravsssn.
ce. needless employment of large
numbers of men, and aiding men to
evade the selective draft. were char
ges made against The Department
Of Agriculture = few days ago while
the Food Production bill was under
discussion in the House. The provi.
sion under discussion proposed the
appropriation of @.t00O00 to hire
men to travel over the country and
teach farmers how to raise more
grain. The item was vigorously at
tackled by a number of Republican
members who s-contended that it
would be . needless appropriation
with a large force which could be
turned to political use.
Representative James c. McLau-
ghlin of Michigan opened the dis
cussion. Mclaughlin explained that
as q member of the Committee on
Agriculture. he has always favored
liberal appropriations for develope-
ment of our agricultural industries
but that he and other Republicans
on the Committee deemed many of
the items extravagant, that they had
secured many reductions in the COM
mittee, and that they felt compelled
to carry the fight on other items to
the floor Of the House In some in
stances where the Department had
declared its inability to secure men
to extend certain lines of work in
normal times, requests are now
made for money to extend the same
work many times over, in time Of
war. when men are scarce. In this
connection Mr.. Mclaughlin said;
"The Department of Agriculture
is employing large number of men
who are of draft age and subject to
military service The records of the
Department show that already the
Secretary of Agriculture has certi-
fled more than 1000 of these young
men for deferred classification un-
der the draft law"
Representative Madden of Illinois
opposed the item of 100000 for ad-
ditional men to go about the country
to demonstrate the best methods of
raising crops. He conter ded that the
farmers of the country know more
about raising crops than the men
who could be hired under this appro-
priation, and said that "these bills
do not accomplish anything in incre-
asing farm products, unless you call
it accomplishing something when
you are farming the treasury of the
United States. You are developing
a good crop of expenses, and you are
not afraid to sow the seed which
will yield new Jobs to the faithful"
Representative Mondell of Wy
oming interrupted to inquire, Does
not the gentleman understand il is
important we shall have few Fed
eral candidates towards the Ides of
to which Madden as
sented except that he thought the
would be more than few.
Mondell asserted that part of the
appropriation in the Food Produc-
lion bill is to be used in farm labor
service, which work is
already being done under appropria-
tions for the Department of Labor.
That most of the work of the De-
partment of Agriculture is commen-
liable, he agreed, but said that, "thc
sums carried in this bill are scanda-
ous when we think that the taxpay-
ers and bond-buyers must furnish
he money. 1t becomes almost crimi-
excessive sums in addi-
ion to the regular appropriations
when we reflect that they are to
oay for the personal service of an
lrmy of several thousand men who
ought either to be on the firing line
,r engaged in productive enterpri-
;es"
Representative Sidney Anderson
insisted that when the War Depart
nent declines to give deferred class
fication to men who are actually
-aising crops. such. classification
ought not to be given to men who
merely talk about raising crops.
The Republicans forced adoption
If a clause forbidding employment
If men under this appropriation who
would be subject to draft.