Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-31
f,1snia5'9H GVeuiae Yesterday assds 142O6
SATURDAY. JANUARY 81, 1920.
Merely Wasting Good Money.

Republicau members of the House OF
Representatives have been doing little
else but investigating the Democratic
administration since they took over the
legislative part of the government on
Nav 10, 1919, when the extra session con-
vened. Conduct of the victorious war,
vhv America startled the world by its
overnight shipping achievements. and
ANYTHING else that it was thought might
furnish political capital was eagerly seized
upon by an investigating committee.
The Democrats now propose to bring
these committees to book and force them
70 confess officially how much OF Uncle
Sans money has been spent in chasing
the elusive rumor. The Republican lead
ers are decidedly reluctant and thus lar
have managed to "stall' by having the
official vouchers turned in at long IN
tervais. They are on partial record,
however, as regards the investigation OF
the Shipping Board and the War Depart
mcnt from May 10 to July /, the state
ment indicating that these two commit
tees alone spent between $l2O,ooo ana
$4,000 in those six weeks.
As most of the committees and sub
committees are still 'functioning IT is
estimated that, counting the cost to the
departments that were required to detail
clerks to satisfy the unlimited Republican
curiosity, the total bi' rendered the Amer
ican public viii closely approach sl,ooo,-
600. with no results to justify it.
The House committee on United State.
Shipping Board operations IS one example
of how to spend money luxuriously, hav-
ing out-junketed the Frear spruce smell
ing" committee in its search for mare
nests" in the Pacific Northwest The Ship
ping Board Lecocqs took private car,
last summer, for iaunt to the Paclilc
Coast, and plan couple of more trips
soon. one to New England, another TO
South Atlantic points. Thus far 1t has
expended s12, ,234.64, according TO the
figures submitted to the House appToprla-
tions committee by William Tyler Page,
clerk of the House. Three Representa-
tives occupied the private car at an ex-
pense of 81, ,061. %, MIR. Pages expiana-
tion of that being they (the committee
headed by Representative Joseph Walsh
OF Massachusetts, found it more economi-
cal to get a special car than to go on regu-
lar tickets A representative OF the
Shipping Board accompanied them.
The select committee TO investigate
war expenditures, popularity known as the
"smellers," is alleged to have spent but
$4,000 up to July /, but the Democrats
believe the total to have been many
times that sum. Everyone of the five sub
committees has taken prolonged trips, one
gong TO France, another TO the Pacific
Coast, third all over the country visiting
camps, fourth darting from north to
south and east to west IN an attempt to
find fraud In contracts, and the fifth un-
dertaking a merry-go-rouL i search for
profteering IN quartermaster supplies.
81 do not know personally anything about
the work of these investigating commit
tees said Chairman James ". Good
lhepuDucdlt Si the IltdoS 1Ji4Dt1tAdtfolto
committee, ''but / do think it Is a false
theory to commence to investigate mat
ter simply because large appropriation
was made for particular purpose. ]
have wondered whether the investigating
committees were trying to plow the whole
field and go into all expenditures, even
If they have no idea there is any waste
or extravaganza, or that there has been
any misuse of the governments appro-
priations"
House Clerk &c also expressed him
self skeptically before the appropriations
committee as to the results accomplished
by the Republicans, admitting that when
these committees have found, as probably
they have in some instances, hat leads
have led them into cul-de-sac they have
receded and followed other leads" And
SO the costly farce goes on, revealing
nothing that can be classed as positively
detrimental to good administration, but
resulting IN an absolute waste OF money
that might be expeLded for good and prac-
teal purposes.