The Washington times., 1918-03-06

NA NA government II WOulQ nave
been revolution as an accomplished
fact" Profits in both depend large.
ly on maximum salaries, paid to
men who are supposed to represent
maximum efficiency" That is, to
! the supermen of the system. Under
the cost plus a percentage" sys-
TEN, COSTS have been put up on the
Government enormously. 1t is now
demonstrated as putting a premium
on graft with extortion as a ninci-
dent.
Before the Senate Committee on
Commerce yesterday It was ex-
planned that the Fee system" Of
fers no temptation to put up costs
IN tins way. The explanation was
made by Mr.. Dwight P. Robinson,
President of the International Ship
building Corporation at Hog Island.
II the System" is the best thing
for the United States and for Amer
lean business, then Mr.. Robinson
showed on the stand that he and his
close associates are experts in it, eff
flcient in it and able to do all it re-
qulres. There can be no objection
to Mr.. Robinson personally. He
demonstrated the main point for
himself when he showed that he got
a fixed percentage on his estimate
OF cost, and no more if the cost in
creased beyond the estimate. This
and efficiency he demonstrated as
the merits of the system.
What he failed to make clear was
tnat the system does not REQUIRE
costs to be kept down.
Then Senator Nelson. Senator
Vardaman, and others forced the
main issue-the issue Of the system
itself as q method OF government.
1t had supplied the Government with
q complete outfit Of efficiency ex-
perts" whose salaries with all other
expenses were to be paid from the
public treasury. These salaries. in
addition to their PERCENTAGES. they
we're to get from the Government for
the Know How"-for their real or
alleged efficiency, as supermen.
Buper-experts, patriotic enough to Of
fer themselves and the system to
their country in distress without in
creasing percentages by increasing
cost, after their salaries were once
PROVIDED Tor. Senator Vardamau
called the attention Of the witness
to q reduction in salaries of from
S250,0Oo to $275,000 a year inaug.
urated at Hog Island by Admiral
Bowles under resolution adopted
by the Senate Commerce Committee.
The witness deplored It as unjust to
the experts who had answered the
call of the Government, with their
system (already unified and co-or-
dinated) at its service. So the mat
ter stands. II the unified and co-or-
dinated system is vindicated, Hog
Island and all concerned in It are
vindicated. Personally, they are
nice men" But with this system,
monopoly is to be the rule. The Gov
ernment is to be revolutionized and
conrolled by Men with the Know
How, at what Vardaman described as
enormous and exorbitant salaries"
So now, II. as it is now said,
further references to the Hog Island |
contract are to be suppressed, the |
suppression will still leave the |
country free to decide on the system,
as far as Hog Island has brought II |
to the surface. 1t is monopoly-the |
control of the future OF the country |
by the same super-experts C''nice |
men" and eminent philauthropists) |
who organized the original trusts |
and made them efficient" The coun-
try ought TO be able to understand |
now what It means. When it does |
understand. It can take the system |
or leave It. First, It ought to under
stand what Hog Island means. It |
means the trust" system against
government. against Demo-
cracy, against Republicanism, against
any form of government OF the peo-
pie, by the people, or for the people
II means the people for the system,
to meet its tests and ac-
cept its ultimatums as supreme law.
RED ants upon a rolling orange
seem quite small. Yet great men
think they can control this whole
terrestrial ball" Perhaps they may,
but not all the time. Bootstraps
break at times when self-elevation
and the attraction OF graviation are
in conflict
Senators Hollis and Owen are
of tire Committee on Bank
ing and Currency 1t met in execu-
tive session yesterday. !; was ex-
planned afterward that it had got
its orders" This was in connection
with a statement that it was IN cor
sultation with financial experts ard
that Secretary McAdoo had adj
vised it on several points. This
may have some connection with a
repor: that Senator Owen has a
substitute bill" with war finance
features.
No further explanation was given
until the Senate began debating the
McAdoo Har finance bill on an
Of Senator Reed. This
would have stricken out the clause
it penal to finance an un-
licensed corporation against the
provisions OF the section for con-
trolling the securities of all con-
industries not supposed to
a aaaannN1alf