The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-06-27
SENATE VOTES FOR
AN ARMY OF 100000
BEGINNING JULY |
House Provision Raised by
Senate ComfNittee
Amendment
HARE'S SALARY is CUT
Director of Sales Get Sharp Critic
ism for Disposal of Surplus
Materials
HARE'S SALARY is CUT

WASHINGTON, June 27-With
out record vote the Senate has
adopted committee amendments to
the Army Appropriation bill provid-
ing for an average army of 100000
men for the year beginning July l..
The bill as passed blythe House pro-
vided for an army of 100000. Secre-
tary Baker had recommended that the
total be 100000.
The Senate by a vote of ~ to %
adpoted by an amendment offered by
Senator France, Republican, of Mary
land, and modified by Senator
Reed, Democrat, of Missouri, limit
ing the salary of C. w. Hare, Director
of Sales and in charge of disposal of
surplus war materials, ito $4,000.
Mr.. Hare now is being paid at the
rate of $25,000 year.
During the discussion Senator Nc
Kellar, Democrat, of Tennessee, and
Reed, criticised the manner in which
war materials were being disposed of
by the Government, especially the
surplus supply of meats. estimated to
be worth $65,000,000. Senator Nc
Keller called attention to a newspaper
item which said that all bids for this
meat had been respected because they
were too low, and charged that the
packers were being especially favored
by the war department in the disposal
of this meat. He asserted that Mr..
Hare "is> the only man in the United
States that can be found who says
that this meat must be sold so that
the people can get the benefit, but
that it must be put on the market
so that only the packers can get it."
"Did Mr.. Hare make the restriction
that it can only be sold in carload
lots?" asked Senator Lenroot.
Chairman Wadsworth said he did
not know, but asserted that if this
meat were sold in smaller quantities
or if the government were compelled
to open stores for the purpose of re-
failing it much larger appropriation
would be required. He said that ap-
plications for bids had been sent to
10000 retail dealers and others by the
War Department.
~ cannot see," he added, "that
anybody is criminally negligent in
this matter. l don't think that the
Secretary of War or the Director of
Sales can be particularly blamed for
the public's refusal to buy these
goods"
Senator Reed criticised the sale of
$20,000,000 worth of airplanes for
$2,000,000 by the War Department,
and said he thought some explanation
of this matter should be made. While
opposing any attempt to break the
market, he also favored the sale of
surplus automobiles by the War De-
partment to relieve the present short
age in production.
The Senate accepted the committee
amendment authorizing the War De-
partment to turn over to the Red
Cross medical and hospital supplies
not needed by the American expedi-
tionary forces for relief work in
Europe.
Without record vote, the Senate
approved committee amendment au-
thorizing the War Department to pro-
ceed with the purchase of camp sites
negotiations for which are pending.'
The House specifically prohibited
these transactions in passing the bill,
and stormy debate proceeded Senate
action. The controversy centred about
the purchase of the site of Camp
Benning, Columbus,I Ca, which was
disapsroved in resolution adopted
last March by the Military Committee
of the late Senate.