Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-18
NEBRASKA
mem. bERS
TO DIRECT
INQUIRIES
Representatives ReaviS and
Jefferis Selected as Inves-
tigators Of War Depart
ment Expenditures.
(By Staff Correspondent.)

Washington. June 17.-(Special
Telegram.)-Two members of the
house delegation from Nebraska,
Representative Reavis of the First
district and Representative Jefferis
OF the Second, have their work cut
out for them for months, hence IN
being selected as investigators of
the War department in handling the
enormous sums of money voted the
department for the winning of .he
war.
Reavis is made chairmen of sub
committee No. 4, which will have
general supervision over all Con-
tracts and expenditures of the quar-
termaster's department, including
the purchase of all clothing for the
soldiers, all food bought, purchase
of all horses and mules, the entire
motor transport corps, the constr &c
ton of all quartermaster's ware
houses and remount stations. In ad-
dition the Reavis committee will ex-
anime into the expenditures of the
surgeon generals department and
the engineer corps. All expendi-
lures for the transportation of
troops within the United States and
all contracts and expenditures made
with foreign governments for the
transportation of our troops across
the sea.
Reavis Highly Honored.
The jurisdiction of the Reavis
committee is much wider than that
given any of the other subcommi.-
tees by the general investigating
committee at its meeting today and
much is expected of it. When the
vast amount of work assigned 20
committee No. 4, of which kep:e-
sentative Reavis is chairman, is
taken into consideration, his position
on the judiciary committee and
chairman of the subcommittee con-
trolling all prohibition legislation
and his prospective place OH the
steering committee, it is apparent
that there is no congressional dis
trict in the nation that will have a
larger voice in the legislation of the
65th congress than the First district
of Nebraska.
Representative Reavis proposes
to start his investigation at once
and upon a matter that may have
eli intimate bearing upon the high
cost of living, the connection. #
any, existing between the War de-
partment and the packers as to the
holding by the War department Of
100000 pounds of meat pro-
ducts from the market with result
ant suffering and abnormal prices.
This meat supply is constantly
de.eriorating ard its disposition
will go long way toward solving
the high cost of living" said Mr..
Reavis. Then we have several
other live matters to take up pend
ing the investigation at the hands
q! expert accountants, the enor-
rous holding OF cigars and cigar
re.ts by the War department which
suggests understandings or agree
n'cnts between the War department.
and the manufacturers and the con-
sequent maintenance of war prices.
We propose tc 60 to the bottom: of
the situation and see who is re-
sponsible for present conditions" "
To Probe Ordnance Matters.
Committee No. S, of which Rep
rcsentative Jcffries of Omaha IS a
member and the chairman of the
general investigating commi. zee.
Graham of Illinois, is subchairn,an
with Doremus, democrat of Michi-
gan, as the third member, will nave
charge of looking into all matters
relating to the production Of
ordnance, not alone as its produc-
tion relates to government plants
tut of all contracts and expen H.
lures with private plants dbing gov
eTnment ordnance work The COM
r'ittee will also investigate all ex-
penditures and activities of the tark
corps and chemical Warfare. In ad-
dition, this committee is charged
with the additional power Of
examining into the personnel of the
ordnance branch of the service with
view of suggesting a plan for re-
trenchment, economy and efti-
cheney.