River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-12-11
Washington Letter
From James A. Frear, NJ. CO.
December 6 1919

:
second day of the session was read
by the Clerk Of the House. Word
comes from various sources that he
has been unable to meet any members
Of his cabinet for several weeks. Ill
ness which came during his Western
speaking trip the last of September
has kept him confined TO the White
House for over two months. What
ever differences of opinion exist re-
garding public matters, he has the
sympathy of the people generally.
The first proposition contained in
his message was demand for the
adoption Of national budget system
and for single appropriation COM
mittee for the House which the writ
er has discussed in the House and be-
fore the Committee on several differ
ent occasions. The necessity for a
single budget committee met with gen.
eral ridicule at first, and Sheriey, FIX
Chairman of the Appropriation Com
nnittee, who favored the plan once told
me it was hopeless to ever expect it
because of opposition in both Houses.
Much of our national extravaganza III
useless appropriations could be avoid
ed, and predict it will be adopted be-
fore long, but it requires pressure to
persuade Chairmen of Committees 70
relinquish their petty honors.
Three members of the Wisconsin
immigration commission of ten years
ago met in Washington a few days
ago, when Dean Harry Russell of the
Wisconsin Agricultural college, Sec
rotary Parker and the writer, it's form
Ell chairman, met together in this city.
A decade ago we were addressing
gatherings at the Coliseum Exposit-
ion building, Chicago, on the agri-
cultural and commercial advantages
of Wisconsin,. From a small begin
ming the commission has now become
an important factor in the advance
ment of our state. Russell and Park
er were here in an effort to secure g
generous allotment of T n T for Wis
consin. 1t was the principal explos-
i've manufactured for war purposes,
but is now desired for blowing up
stumps in Northern Wisconsin. When
the war ended, the War Department
declared surpluss of 26,000,000 H.,
and this was given to government
highways and other public activities.
Wisconsin used 100000 pounds for
experimental purposes in blowing up
stumps, the enemy of the Northern
Wisconsin pioneer farmer. This eX-
plosive is found safer to handle and
better in many respects than dyna-
mite, while it does more execution
with old pine snags than depth bombs
did to the enemy submarines. Wis
consin officials have shown the value
of T N T and all that remains is to
get a larger supply for experiments.
That was the purpose of Russelps Wis
it.
One of the sages of the House re-
Gently remarked that we could not
reach the high cost of living by law
any more than we could make the sun
stand still by law. He gave as reas-
ons: Reduced production has limited
supply of about every necessity of
life. For four years an average of
ten million selected men in Europe
were taken from the farms, mills and
other industries. This reduced pro-
duction abroad and in the case of
death or serious disability it became
permanent. Millions of producers
whom we helped supply then became
consumers. In our own country, over
two million men for over one year in
like manner were taken from the
farms, mills and other walks of life
and became soldiers and consumers
instead of producers.
Mills and factories were shut down
because not engaged in supplying war
material. Reduced working hours by
law in many occupations and strikes
in different trades have also lowered
production so shortage in stocks of
goods Gu hand has resulted. Added
to limited supplies is the cheap pur-
chasing dollar caused by many billions
of American bonds issued during the
war which causes initiation and last
but not least is the factor of human
selfshness from producer to final sell
Ter. Those are elements that Con-
gress is asked to regulate.
=
Numerous requests have come for q
renewal of weekly letters that were
halted by a congressional investiga-
ton I have been engaged in. Hearings
are nearly completed and letters will
be resumed. They do not attempt to
give the news but rather personal
angle on legislative matters About
200 of these weekly letters have been