Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-02-02
NEGLECTED. WOOL OFFER.

My friends, | wish to give anoth
or evidence OF incfiicicncy and /
want You to understand | am not do
ing this i'll any spirit Of unfricndli-
ness TO the Secretary Of War. He has
oeen my warm personal friend. I am
only doing it because feel it is my
duty. AS another evidence Of incffi.
cheney the wool growers OF the West
came here last April, | think, short
~ after the war broke on; and offer
Hh TO furnish the Government with
the western output Of wool.
"Fhc Government did not AXE ii he
cause they thought it high price,
and possibly they were charging a
pretty good price. 1t was Il little be.
low the current market price, but they
would not take it, Later on they
came here again and offered it, and
they would not take il. The price of
wool had gone away up out of sight
at that time. Later on we had con-
tracts for large quantities Of wool,
hut wool had gone up to very high
figure.
Now. Mr.. President anybody would
have known, it seems to me any eff
fcicnt business man must have known
that to clothe million and a half
men. or possibly two million men, We
would have to got every pound Of wool
possible and manufacture it into
clothing. Yet it went into the hands
or spectators and dealers, and when
the Government comes to buy it has
to buy at high price. So made the
statement about the uniforms.
think all will agree with me that
viii e there" has been great work per
FORMED. there has been much left I'M
done that might have been done if
the proper system had been in vogue"
Asked what the purpose had been
in reducing the weight of the uni
forms and mixing wool with shoddy.
Mr.. Chamberlain said:
1.-THE conservation Of wool I would
rather have the conservation of life
and the giving OF such uniforms as
are given the soldiers Of France and
England"
CONGRESS- NO RUBBER STAMP.
Mr.. Chamberlain objected to the
President saying in his statement that
he had not been consulted and infer
ing that the Senate had no business
to try to correct conditions. He then
justified his course and continuing
said:
"Now. with all due respect for the
President Of the United States, he
serves notice on the Congress OF the
United States ard on the Senate that
they had no business meddling with
this affair. IF the Senate Of the Unit
ed States feels it to be its duty not
to 60 into an investigation unless it
meets the smile Of Executive favor,
it must not go into it. Now, I differ
from that view. We are a great coor
dinatc part Of this Government, and
l am going to take the liberty Of
calling tho attention Of my Democrat
ic friends to Democrat Of days gone
, by, leader who dared to protest.
"When I become a rubber stamp
in the discharge Of my duty I shall
get out Of the Senate and OF public
life and let somebody moro subser-
Went than my disposition could be
take my place. You will remember
Senators. that there was on one oc-
casion another Democrat in the Sen
ate. who was the leader Of his party,
when there was a Democrat in the
White House. You remember when the
famous Wilson bill was up for con
sidoTation, 1t did not meet with exc
cutive favor and he wrote q pretty
letter, while the bill was in confer.
ence between the two bodies, upbraid