Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-25
THAT FUEL SAVING ORDER AND
THE NEED OF A WAR BOARD

congressman lFF1lS Il. IcIEOOt, ol
this district, voiced the protest of the
lation in his speech on the order OF
)r. Garfield, closing the factories OF
he country and stopping industry for
i've days. laying off five million men
md costing the laborers of this coun-
ry ii billion dollars.
We want this war won. We want
won as quickly as possible. 1t can
from the nation. The man in the shops
md in the industries, is getting more
wages than ever, but even then he has
1 hard time to meet the constantly in
.reasing prices of food and raiment.
70 strike from under the wage for a
day, even, is wicked.
Congressman Lenroot said that. If
the order is necessary it is due to the
absolute incompetence of the coal adj
of the last three months. y
He continued:
The gentleman from Illinois says
it is our duty to keep silence. | say
that it is the business of every
patriotic citizen to give thought to
this question. If this condition is
to go on as to make this order nee
esSary. this house owes it to itself
TO Immediately institute an inves-
tigation of the entire situation
and find out where the blame is,
in order that it may not recur.
In short. this country has been
stung
If the order is necessary. then
we have now. on American soil,
lost the first battle against Ger
many.
I'VE could shut down every saloon
east of the Mississippi river, with
out any loss and that il necessary
every brewery and every luxury
producing concern could be shut
down.
DR.. Garfield DR." is fol
Divinity or Doctor of Civil Law, not
il Medical doctOr-says that the order
was issued for the purpose of stopping
manufacturers sending goods to the
railroads for shipment and adding tC
the congestion. If so then what was
in the order to hinder the factories
from keeping at the work of offering
goods during the five day shutdown
Nothing. The administration cannot
get away from the fact that the bur
den falls on the wage Garner and here
at time when every effort is bent tC
make him comfortable and contente(
with his work. and put forth all his
energy in the fight at home to win the
war Then comes DR.. Garfield and
tips over the whole great structure.
We have no apology to make for this
criticism. 1t is cowardice to sit back
and lie about the things that are. We
in common with thousands of Others
want the flag to win. We are uncom
promising in the battle for the estab
lishment of world peace by whipping tC
death the forces of evil and the insti
gators of international murder. But
that cannot be done by either incOm
potency on protecting official pets
This is no time to compromise with
anyone. The administration has played
Board to conduct the war is at hand
England has one, France does not dele
gate to one man the supreme power OF
the supreme responsibility.
Just now comes one of the incidents
that makes the Cabinet office of Sec
rotary of War joke. Hundreds OF
men have been sent to Raritan, y. ]
to report TO the .Raritan Ordnance
Depot" The citizens of the city were
obliged to provide food and lodging
for the men. Why? Because there
was no such depot. There was not a
soul at the city or anywhere about tC
receive the men for the simple reason
that there was no such place as the
"Raritan Ordnance Depot
Down in the War Department al
Washington there were fine plans fol
such a depot, but it had not been built
Also it was not to be built at Raritan
Ut Llldt. Uut 1T MetuCl1cH. ten IullcS
away Still the Ordance department
of the Secretarys office did not know
it. And Secretary Baker on the wit
ness stand before the senate commit
tee told the people of this country
that the Ordnance department was per.
fectly competent.
The senate of the United States told
DR.. Garfield that the fuel order was a
mistake He defied the senate and then
the president came to his rescue. Ev-
cry such act emphasizes the need of a
war board.
But we are patriotic people, and a
peaceable people. and we believe in law
and order and as the Light Brigade
at BalakIava charged to its death on
an error OF judgment, everybody
obeyed the Garfield order. praying at
the same time to be protected from a
repetition of this stupidity.