Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-23
Mr.. Madden Charges Millions
NeedIessIy Spent for
Useless Help.
HITS H0OVER'S EXEMPTION
ORDER AS DRAFT Menace
Scores His Action for Blanket
Waiver for Food Employees.
Criticises Quartermas-
ter's Department.

After reading a long telegram from
Food Administrator Hoover to the
s:ate food administrator. giving
blanket instructions for the exemp-
tion of all men in the organization
from the draft. Representative Mad
den of Illinois. declared in the House
of Representatives tofay that such a
communication would cause chaos in
the effort to raise an Army
Representative Madden further de-
CARED that there were thousands of
employees here in Washington who are
drawing pay from the government
without giving a return for the money
in service. and that there would be no
'need for spending millions of the gov
'ernments money for housing if the
heads of the departments confined
themselves to such employees as would
give legitimate service.
He gave specific examples from per-
sonal observation Of the overstockins
of clerical help in various departments
and bureaus.
Representative Madden directed at
tention to the "eXtraordinary 1aa-
guase" used in Administrator Hoo
ver's instruction promising exemption
to the food administration organiza-
tion throughout the country. He said
fn nd ont whether the
draft laws ARE to be obeyed or set
aside with impunity."
He wanted to know whether the
provost marshal general or the judge
advocate general, charged with the
responsibility of raising an Army.
should interpret the law, or whether
some man in an administrative po-
sition outsids4tke- Army had superior
authority"
Voices a Protest.
He protested against any govern
ment functionary being allowed to
embarrass the work of raising an
Congress to guarantee a sufficient
reservoir of men at home to re-
plenish the overseas forces.
Representa- tive Madden had pre-
viously paid tribute to the office of
the judge advocate general as being
the marvel of the military service for
the efficient way in which it had per-
formed the most onerous task.
In branching off to discussion Of
the crowding OF Washington with
government workers, many OF whom.
he says. arc not needed here. Repre-
sentative Madden paid his respects to
The food administration as 4 Glaring
offender. He said there are more peo-
pie sitting around those Offices. l will
not say as employees. but on the pay
Treasury. giving no value for the
money. than any other place in the
government service"
As another example. he said he spent
Tan hour and a half one morning re-
gently in the engineer bureau walk
ing about, and that he would take his
, oath he saw at least 1000 persons,
lCnot one of whom was doing any work.
through the departments" said Rep
sentative Madden. We are spending
millions Of dollars for housing here
which Is not necessary ii the depart
ments will confine themselves to those
who can be legitimately employed"
Hits ouartermaster's Department.
He also criticised the quartermas-
ter's department. saying that he had
visited the quartermaster's stores in
New York, had the names and ad
dresses of 210 commissioned officers
who had to take turns at desks and
that their work should require not
more than twenty divisional directors
and that all the other positions could
he filled by girls or men outside the
draft age.
He said he had complained of this
condition to the quartermaster gen.
eral who admitted to him that there
were more men in uniform employed
there than there should be.
Representative Madden contraSted
the efficient organization of the
bureau of supplies and accounts OF
the Navy. where 1900 men and women
transact all the business of supply
ing $4,000 men and all the ships, with
the overcrowded Office force in the
tluarternaSter's Corps.
He directed attention to the fact
that the fuel administration has more
than 1900 persons employed here in
Washington.