The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-28
MAYOR RECITES
ENDEAvORS TO
UTILIzEPLANT
Letter to Colonel Arthur A. Woods
Blames Politics for Failure
to Realize Economy.

Mayor Harry M. Schriver has not
given up hopes of receiving further
help from Colonel Arthur A Woods,
chairman of the presidents unem-
ployment conference, in having the
Rock Island arsenal reopened for
manufacturing peace time needs of
the government.
Colonel Woods spoke in Urbana,
ILL.,, Wednesday night before the
eighth annual convention of the
Illinois Municipal league, and
Mayor Schriver sent telegraphic
invitation for him to come to Rock
Island to meet a committee of ex-
perts on the arsenal situation.
Thursday the mayor received a re-
ply to the effect that business de-
manded the presence of Colonel
Woods in Washington as soon as
possible and that he could not make
the trip to this city.
AS a result of the failure to bring
local data before Colonel Woods
The mayor has taken the opportun-
ity to write a letter relative to the
situation. The letter follows:
Replying to your letter of the
23rd, wish to state that | am chair
man of the Rock Island committee,
on unemployment, and that 1 would
be pleased to serve as a member of
the advisory committee of your
conference.
You will remember receiving a
telegram from me while you were
in Urbana at the Municipal league
convention. l exceedingly regret
that you were unable to come to
Rock Island and look over our sit
uation. Rock Island and Moline
depend almost entirely upon the
manufacture of farming imple-
ments. These big factories have
been closed for more than one year
and probably will be until the sit
uation concerning the farmer is re-
lieved, and we can see nothing in
sight for the farmer this year.
For two years l have been
making strenuous efforts to induce
the government to open up the
Rock Island arsenal to manufac-
ture peace time needs 1t is
equipped to manufacture practi-
cally everything the government
needs. The machinery is standing
idle. During the Wilson admin
istration, the manufacturers asso
citation assisted by the army and
navy lobby in Washington succeed
ed in preventing the accomplish
ment OF the above. I am begin
ming to think, although l am and
always have been a staunch Repub-
Iican, that the same influences have
the present administration tied
hand and foot.
THE distress in this community
is great Our local committee has
made every effort in the world to
stimulate employment of labor. We
have had numbers Of our citizens
employing a man a day week
simply making work for him, to
prevent him from becoming an OBJ
ject of charity. l have had the
railroad companies ship me many
carloads of discarded ties and old
lumber of no further use to them,
gratis, which has been distributed
among the poor for fuel by means
of municipal trucks.
Governments Laxity.
I'VE have adopted every conceiv-
able way in this locality TO stiInu-
late work and help the unemployed
and it seems a crying shame that
this Rock Island arsenal remains
idle, while the government is I'M
der contract with the private manu-
facture for its peace time needs,
paying approximately 100 per cent
more than it could be manufac-
tured for here. Secretary Baker
informed me while in Washington
on this matter that the combined
arsenals of the United States, work
ing night and day, could not manu-
facture more than % or 30 per cent
Of the governments peace time
needs.
"If you can use your efforts to
open this institution as above indi-
Gated, you will perform the great .
est service possible, not only to
the unemployed of Rock Island.
Moline and Davenport, but TO the
within a radius of 100
miles of this community in eastern
Iowa and western Illinois. NV
great desire in having you visit
his community was that you would
De able to get some idea of the won
terful equipment and the magnifi-
cence of this arsenal plant. Il
wanted you to come in contact
With experts here who could give
you all the data necessary and full
Information with reference to the
entire subject.
81 beg of you to use your efforts
n this behalf. Thanking you for
vour interest in this regard, and
waiting a reply from you at your
,arly convenience, I am,
Yours Respectfully.
HARRY NJ. SCHRIVER.
Mayor of Rock Island"