Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1920-11-18

what happened? exclaimed
Jack in disguised voice. "That's
what a fellow gets for trying to
talk football with a girl. Haven't
you heard? They go off the field
and say that il was because we
had built up a clever team with
hackers and spent an awful lot
of money. They say, 'look
out next year, we'll get you
then That makes me sick. Did
MT they have the same chance to
build up good team and could
MT they spend just as much
money as any body else? But
they won't get us next year eth
err because we have THE team
and we'll keep it that way
'"That's mighty interesting,
'"said Uncle Ted as he put down
his paper and took off his glass
es. ''It reminds me of the cleo
ton. Sounds just like the Dem
ocratic excuses for the Republi-
can landslide. It's easy to tell
how it happened, but the fact re-
mains that the voters wanted 2
Republican President, a Repub-
lican Senate and House of Rep
resentatives and Republican
governors. That is the real ans
wer. The proof of the pudding
this time is the way the voters
went to the polls and cast their
votes.
Another thing you said, Jack,
applies to the election and what
has been since. You said that
your rival football team was 60
ing to try to get you next year.
The Democrats are already
starting to lay their plans for
four years from now, when a
President must be elected again.
Since that is the case, it is well
that we do a little thinking and
remind ourselves of a few things
a Democratic President and ad-
ninistration have accomplished.
eve learn now what we have
suspected for a long time-tfat
millions OF dollars have been
wasted by the Shipping Board,
according to a report made by
the special House Investigating
committee of which Representa-
tive Joseph Walsh, of Massachu-
sets, is chairman. The facts
were presented to this commit
tee by two former employees of
the Shipping Board. Not only
does this report show that great
quantities of money have been
wasted, but it is stated some of
ficials and employees are guilty
of graft and corruption. 1t is
even said that some ships were
scuttled.
whats that mean?" asked
Ruth.
"To scuttle ship means to
sink it."
That's awful" was Jacks
comment.
eyes, it is awful, Jack, and /
hope not true. But we get some
idea of what went on when we
read that from 1917 up to now
the Shipping Board had almost a
quarter of a million men work
ing for it and spent about 3d.
500,000,000! There are so many
bad things said in that report
that it would take all night to
tell them. Just a few of the
charges mentioned state that
tremendous overcharges were
made for repair work and ma
terials, that money was loaned
on worthless securities, and that
through contracts being drawn
up poorly che government lost
large sums of money.
Zone of the worst things in
the whole report to me is the
statement that many of the
firms which held contracts. for
the building Of ships started
campaigns in their plants for
the selling of liberty bonds and
then charged in their bills to the
Shipping Board 10 per cent of
the money obtained as charge
for the sale of the bonds. 1t is
also said that in some instances
the fleet corporation allowed
these contractors to take money
from the funds appropriated for
work, to buy liberty bonds"
"Who is head of the Shipping
Board now?" asked Jack.
Admiral William S. Benson
is chairman now, but he is not
mentioned in any of these
l., l. n