River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-11-10
Our Weekly Letter
From Washington
From James A. Frear, M. C.

ly glancing over Senate proceedings
the following quotation from his
speech struck my notice. We are not
giving the boys compensation. We
cannot compensate them for the loss
of jobs, the loss of school and business
plans, the loss of prospects IN life,
the hundreds Of thousands Of broken
families, men who lost what money
cannot buy We know that. We can
not compensate them if we took all
the money earned by the war profit
GERS and multiplied it ten times over.
No amount of money could comren-
safe for the loss of our American boys
who lied buried, 900 Of them, from
far away Archangel and all over Eur
ope to the Pacific coast OF our coun-
try. But we stand together, Repubil-
cans and Democrats, and let us do nc
on this measure. Let there be no line
between us now in politics. There are
your boys as well as ours, and we are
trying to give them some slight recog-
milton for their sacrifices during the
war. One dollar a day in this coun-
try or a dollar and quafter day
across seas is not compensation, but
it is an expression of our gratitude
for those who fought your battles and
mine.n More to the same effect was
quoted by him from the speech men
toned. The words seemed familiar
and when | learned he was reading
from one of my own speeches deliver
ed in the House last session, it ex-
planned my complete agreement with
his statement.
Chairman Fordney of the Ways and
eft hQ H.
tends to bring ur the compensation
bill in the House at the regular ses-
sion beginning in December this year.
He promises, however, to insert
turnover sales tax as means for
raising revenue to meet the bill. This
proposal was defeated in Republican
Conference last session and other
means were provided with which to
meet the five provisions contained IN
the last compensation bill. Its fall
ure to get through the Senate pre-
vented final passage last year. An
ex-soldier soliciting subscriptions Tor
the Stars and Stripes came in the
other day and received his subscrlp-
ton. He said Senator Dupont of the
celebrated family, had refused to sub
scribe for reasons which he repeated.
The Dupont Company has assets OF
1922, 100000 according to a recent
published statement, made largely
from war profits according to general
report.
Last week at Newark, New Jersey,
before a Women's Voters Club, the
writer spoke on reduction of arma-
ments for nations OF the world. A
speech on open conference was made
in company with Senator Owen before
the National Popular Government
League of this city later in the week.
The Arament Conference holds its
first formal session on the 18th IN
slant. Just what will be accomplished
is speculative but international con-
demnation is certain to be visited on
any government that blocks the way
to return to the old time peace or
der. Over 80 per cent of the govern
ment's income is devoted to paying
debt of future and past wars, and 1t
certainly is time that the nations Of
the world join together in voice OF
protest against this tremendous
waste.
One day last summer, business
man of the district stopped me on the
street and said, you have been
fighting river and harbor pork bar
els and public building PORK barrel
bills, now why don't you stop this
waste of government seeds ~ He be-
lieved a great sink hole of waste had
been overlooked but when | left he
said, "That is different" Many peo-
pie use government seeds and are
grateful for them, but motion has
been offered in the House against
free seed distribution. l have voted to
stop it because the law is not wisely
or usefully administered. However,
all the seeds sent out by the govern
ments each year to distribute among
millions of people do not in the og-
gregate cost one per cent of the
amount paid for a modern battleshir.
Over $40 100000 on the average went
into annual river and harbor pork bar
rels, prior to eight yeas ago, while far
less than one per cent of that amount
) is paid for free seeds. Nearly fifty
million dollars went into single public
building pork barrel bills ten years
ago or about 5000 spent by the gov
eminent for public buildings COM
pared with one dollar spent for seeds.
All the river and harbor and public
building money was not wasted but
from two thirds to three fOurths OF
the millions appropriated were for
political favors to different consti-
tuencies.
Both kinds of pork barrels were
done away with long ago, after hard
fighting which constituents of the
Tenth district are familiar and now a
budget bill saves further fighting.
Such improvements are now made on
the advice of experts to meet govern
mental needs, but not more than one
third of former amounts is required
for actual needs. Free seeds are
popular with many people, and an av-
erage seed expenditure of about $3.50,
600 for hundred million people is only
about-one cent expense for family
of five, whereas $50.000,0 900 battle
shin requires $3.50 tax from the sane
family. Seeds are distributed by law
to every member and his allotment
placed to his credit whether he wants
them or not. Any constituent writing