Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-10-01

Facts Showinp How Millions of Dol
lars Collected From the People for
War PURPOSES Have Been Wasted
Remarks of Hon. Cleveland A.
Newton of Missouri. in the House
Of REPRESENTATIVES. March 1e
1920.
Our people are complaining about
the high cost of shoes. yet when we
examine the testimony taken by the
Committee on Expenditures in the
War Department we wonder that
shoes are not today infinitely more
expensive. AT the date of the arn}is
tioe We had 100000 men under
arms, while we had more than 10O,-
100000 engaged in civil life. The
testimony, taken by the committee
shows that to have filled the orders
made by the Ordnance Branch of the
War Department for leather goods
for use in the Amry would have re
Guired 100000 more hides than the
sum total of all the hides produced
in the United states Tho testimony
further shows that the War Depart
meme had for use in the Army 391
600 horses and mules, and vet the
records of the War Depaartment
show that the Ordnance branch of
that department ordered for use up-
on these horses and mules 945.00O
saddles and over 100000 sets of
double harness, which was enough tc
cover more than 100000 horses al
one time The War Department
purchased 1,637,197 horse brushes,
2,029.418 nose feed bags. 1.14S,364
horse covers, 2,S50,S53 halters. and
ali of this equipment to be used on
S91. 900 horses. 1t is difficult to
comprehend. in the face of these
facts. how officials of the admins
tration in power expected 100, 900
600 people in civil lie TO procure
the necessary leather for shoes
"As above stated, the War Depart
ment owned during the war 291 900
horses and mules. It was decided
that these horses and mules must be
branded The testimony taken by the
committee shows that in September
1918. representative of the War
Department entered into a contract
with Henry Moss and Co of New
York, for $4,000 branding irons
This was one branding iron for
every two horses in the Army The
contract required that these irons
should be made of copper, which was
both scarce and expensive.
The contractor purchased 1882
pounds of copper. which was 10000
pounds more than needed to make
the irons. and officlais or the com
pany stated that they paid 80 IL
cents per pound THEREFOR 'rhe Wal
Department paid the company 80
IL cents per pound IL. nv TINS
copper. and then Immediately sold II
back to the company for II cents
per pound. We won tAe war without
branding the horses and mules be
cause no branding irons had been de.
liyered at the time the armistice was
signed. But the records of the Wal
Department show that officials oil
this administration compromised the
claim Of this company by paying then
$40, 900.
The testimony taken by the com
mittee shows that in August. 1918
the war Department enrered into 9
contract with Stein-Burn Camp ant
Field Equipment Co.. of Chicago, fol
the manufacture Of fireless cookers
bread boxes and cooks chests. TIL,
company bought large amount o.
black steel sheets and tin plates
which 1t had when the armistice wa
signed. The expert testimony showed
that this material was reasonabl.
worth 90 per cent of It's cost price
allowed the company cost price TO
the material and sold 1t back as scral
iron. The testiony further show
that this company delivered to tn
War Department 66 fireless cookers
25 cooks chests, and Z bread boxes
| and the records of the War Depart
ment show that these 9S kitchen
utensils cost this government a sur
total OF $171.687. .06. which sum tn
representatives of this administra
tiop paid out OF the Treasury of tn
United States.
"The people of this country, /
their desire to win the war. had prc
duced and conserved and saved, the
had eaten brown bread and don
without sugar until great uuantitfe
Of food stuffs were available whe
the armistice was signed. But tn