The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-04-22
Extravaganza
T A RECENT LETTER

: cuIS SOLSIcSSlIldIl OOAiA We OuAAA
mers gives a brief summary OF
the work of the present con-
gress. His statements regarding
governmental extravaganza are
of special interest. He says.
While professional speech
makers and "grandstanders'
have afflicted, hindered and de-
layed both houses of congress,
we have remained on the job,
early and late and old members
of congress, who have served
continuously for 20, 80 or even
40 years say no American con-
gress has ever before accom-
plished so much in the same
length of time as has this pres
ent congress. / think a brief re-
view of this work may be of in
| terest to you.
The lavish expenditure of pub
lie funds by the previous adj
ADMINISTRATION and the joy-riding
with the peoples money is a hui
initiating and astounding reve-
lation, which am sorry to have
to record, but shall quote only
from the printed records. The
half will never be told. 1t sur
passes all understanding and
staggers the imagination.
| The records show that, with
the exception of two years at
the close of the Civil War, this
country never spent a billion dol
lars in any one year. But i'm
mediately upon the incoming of
the present administration, ap-
preparations rapidly mounted to
more than a billion a year in
1914, 1915 and 1916, before we
were in the war, and during
which time no preparation for
the war was being made. In
1913 they went up to the stag
gering total of $4,000, 900, 900
and to .$18, 900, 600, 900 for the
year ending July 1, 1919. (This
includes the printing of more
than 10000, 900 speeches by the
presidents official family, at a
cost of $4,000. The cost of
the million copies Of one speech
printed for W.G.McAdoo is also
included). These figures are al
most beyond comprehension.
! In so far as this vast expen-
!. diture was necessary in winning
the war, no true American for
one moment regrets the spend
ing of one cent of it. But to
RECKLESS waste, extravaganza,
favoritism and profiteering, we
I do object.
"The worst orgy Of profiteer-
ing from which the country has
thus far suffered" Literary
Digest, Jan. 1Oth) came about in
this way: The United States
Sugar Equalization Board re-
peatedly asked consent of the
president to- purchase for the
United States the last Cuban SUI
gar crop at 61ac per pound. His
consent was not given, but go
days later Attorney General
Palmer agreed on a price with
the Louisiana sugar growers OF
II and 18 cents per pound.
The records show 81, 191, 1872
$50 was expended during the
war for heavy artillery, but Gen.
Pershing says: 'In aviation we
/ heavy American guns were in
use at the front when the Ar
mistice was signed"
Meanwhile 81, O5f, 100000 was
spent on aircraft, but again Gen.
Pershing testified that only "133
were entirely dependent upon
our Allies"
We had in the army 391, 900
horses and mules, but a lavish
spender purchased 945,OOO sad
dies, million sets of double har-
ness, and 2,85O,853 halters. In
other words, he would put two
saddles, five sets of harness and
seven halters on every animal.
In fact, the leather goods order
ed by the war department for all
purposes would have required
100000 more hides than were
produced in the United States.
This is interesting when we con-
slider the present rrice of shoes.
But what has this republican
congress been able to do so far
along the lines of economy? We
found awaiting us last May,
xx,h nv, xUo moi N, c-~ooso1 coCcfap,