Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-02-14

backs Of the American people. And
these boards, which have expended this
money IN ways which it would be mild
to characterize as mere extravaganza,
but which may have been in some in
stances unavoidable in the conditions
created by the war. and which ought
to be hereafter accounted for-and I
hope will be investigated and will be
accounted for-but as rapidly as pos
sibIe we should establish again in the
place of the extravagances OF war
policy of the economy of peace Gap
plause). and provide for the retirement
of our bonds, reduce our expenditures
and reduce as rapidly as possible the
taxes which must be levied upon the
people. The war Trade Board, the
War Industries Board, the public in
formation committee. ought to be de-
modified. not to say abolished.
. l got letter the other day from
one Of my constituents, sending me
an advertisement on blank form,
with letter from the Public In
formation Committee, asking him to
sign his name on blank line for
OuoSNi iPAASh AOI SIS oAISIoI DuIIcLlu,
and he asked me if the Government
Of the United States was going into
the newspaper publishing business.
wrote him, not with my consent,
that l would not vote any money out
Of the treasury of the United States
to authorize the Government of the
United States to publish an official
bulletin. We do not need official
bulletin. We do not need official
gazettes in the United States of
America. 1t savors too much of the
chanceIleries Of Europe. Whatever
may have been needed during the
war for propaganda, it ought not to
be continued as an institution of
peace. 1t is not a newspaper and
never could be a reliable newspaper,
because when a newspaper or Off
cial bulletin is published by an ad-
ministration in Washington, whether
1t was Republican administration
or Democratic administra ton, it is
bound to publish things that are in
favor of the administration and to
suppress things that are against the
administration. 1t is unreliable.
1t is not newspaper in the scpse Of
publishing facts which can be re-
lied upon. and there is no occasion to
continue it.
l think the powers of the. shipping
board ought to be curtailed | would
like TO see again such announcement
given that great industry in which
once the State of Maine led the
world. without shackles of Govern
ment restriction being placed upon
1t. A short time ago I received ii
protest against contracts for the
construction of American ships being
let to Japanese and Chinese yards.
Ships that are built with American
money by American officials ought
TO be build in American shipyards
(Applause). The other day there
was filed in the Senate an official re-
port from the Shipping Board in
which it was stated that the Shipping
Board would not allow d shipbuilder
in the United States to take the con-
tracts which were offered Of some
two million tons Of shipping by the
French Government. Prior to that
atme s35,00O,0O0 of business in the
NOholA uNlAoiI VI w OouCI SlilpS " ulCll
was offered to the ship builders in
the great Timber state of Washing
ton. went to British Columbia. be
cause the Shipping Board would no.
allow thes hipyards to take contracts
upon private account. The shipyards
OF America. representing as legiti-
! mate, as honest. as useful. as dcsir-
able industry as there is il" all tn
realms OF business. ought to be en-
| couraged, not prohibited to take
contracts for the building of ships to
give employment to our returning
soldiers and to our idle men. whether
|, for the French government of for
private account (ApplauseD The
shipyards on the Pacific coast now.
! at least in the State of Washington,
are closed down. At the same time
the cry goes out that soldiers being
discharged from the army are out of
. Work. that idle men are accommodating
in the cities of the land. While there
the implements of industry lie uni
used although the wages which have
, been adjusted between the represent
tatives Of the Labor Unions and the
Government Of the United States, IN
which both were represented. we're
a minimum of $6.40 a day and the
| opportunity for a man to earn IT
he will as much rs SIS q day. And
if a man wants to work at those
wages in those s1ipyards. under The
present system by which the bust
ness of the Government and contract:
ing for ships is conducted, he is not
allowed to work although the Gov
| eminent needs ships and men need
work. In some instances mems fam
, lies are suffering because they are
out of work and not allowed to work
, unless they belong to labor union.
which labor union is under the con-
troll Of a small coterie; of niSlepre
SentativeS Of labor, not typical Of the
i best of labor in the United States,
but representing ideals and princi-
pies whic., have been brought to us
from the Eolshevist element of Rus
STA. l say, my fellow citizens, thar
a man has right to belong to Il
labor union if he sees fit. and should
be protected in that right, and I
believe that labo: unions have been
a great benefit to the cause Of lab,r
and by improving the status of la,
Dor have improved the status Of the
| general citizenship of the country.
but by the same token l claim that
no man should he coerced into join
ing labor union ind that he should
be free to work under a government
contract whether he belongs to a
labor union or whether he does not.
Those are some of the principles to
be defermined do not know how