New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-01-30

vote to build a dam to irrigate some
dry stream. (Applause and laughterD
For fifteen years we have been
ask ed internationally to take over the
Mussel Shoals Dam. We steadily re-
fuse to do it, but, when we were
told under the stress Of war condl-
tons that it was necessary we voted
$40, 900, 900 for the purpose. They
didn't say whore they were going to
build was at MusScl Shoals, of
course. But this, it seems, was not
sufficient. We don't know where the
$4,000, 600 was spent. SO the Presi-
dent, to whom had been appropriated
500, 900 600 as q special war fund to
he administered by him, added $40
100000 to the congressional appro-
priation, making a total Of $6O,000,-
000-and now the whole project is
abandoned.
Promises Scandal.
"Talk about scandal? Wait. 1t be
gins to Smcll already. But wait until
the Investigations begin under the
new republican Congress. \ demo-
cratic friend of mine said, the other
day, why bother about that now?
That's water over the wheel. You
can't do anything about that
mo, perhaps not, but we can put
you to sleep for the next fifty years
on it, is what / said.
Does anybody say that the gov
eminent is economical?
But it isn't the waste that jars me-
The other day BurlesOn came along
and asked for about $2,1S5, 900 for
airplanes to carry mail, and when we
told him that we already had 200
bombing planes, he replied that they
were not adapted for the purpose and
that it would make confusion between
the Post Office and War departments.
con the other hand, Congressman
LaGuardia, a practical hier, who made
flight across the Alps. made a state
ment to prove that the government
wouldn't use any other kind of planes
for the purpose.
1T isn't that the postmaster asks
for over $4,000, 000-what Jars me is
the ease with which a congressman
and the public would excuse such a
thing because the government asks
YOU to do it. That's why I hesitate
to vote for government operation Of
anything that can be done by private
enterprise.
II am sure that Mckinley and
Roosevelt, if they could speak today,
would say that the greatest danger to
tho country is the tendency to dsre-
gard law, and that shows in the an
archy which has been sweeping Rus
STA. Out in California we have a case
that is within the borders Of our own
America q country of law. / do not
need to tell you the circumstances;
you know them as we'll as I do
I'm Chicago ten days ago, when
picture Of our soldiers was shown on
the screen, it was Kissed by an audi
ence. That is in our own country
in our own America.
I'VE are asked to vote an appro-
priation of 500, 100000 to feed dis
tressed Europe. | said I would vote
for 1t if | was told exactly how it was
to be administered. but I reached the
point where I will no longer vote for
n lump sum to be used for any pur-
pose in the discretion of any one man.
AS a member of congress. I want to
hesitate to vote out OF the treasury
great sums Of money to be used by
anybody just to suit themselves.
zone man said to mo, that attitude
seems to show that you are distrust
full Of Hoover, and ! think it's just
politics. Don't YOU know that Hoover
is a republican, Those things make
mo angry. The President selects some
fellow whose father voted Il repub-
lican ticket. and puts it up to this
fellow to administer such jobs.
'When they say that Hoover is act
ing as a republican, ] want to say
that on The Saturday before election
Hoover wrote a letter published the
following day, in which he said that
If the country would return n demo
critic congress, it would save the
lives of 100000 Americans. That
is a damnable outrage. for man to
coin for political purposes the blood
of my son. | denounce such q man
as an Migrate and not a republica n.
I want an accounting for the appro-
priations. | know that this 500, 0O0,-
600 would only be the beginning Of
another 500, 100000.
Now they are asking 81 500, 900 for