SQUANDERING MONEY ON WAR
Squandering Money on War Those Who Fought to Fxpose Extravagance During War Time Yelled Down as Being "Pro-German"—Report Brings Facts to Light RECENTLY in the Senate when the Muscle Shoals...
...The Senator knows the reason why none of these things were gone into...
...The officers' houses are grouped about a large circle of parked ground, most expensive walks and terraces, and cost from $6,000 to $19,000 each, according to the rank of the particular ordnance officer who was to occupy them, a lieutenant's house to cost $6,000 and a lieutenant colonel's house $19,000 with further provisions to be made by building higher-priced houses if higher ranked officers were detailed there...
...Lenroot think that those who were stealing the money contributed to support the war should have been exposed at the time, and does he not think that those who prevented exposure and punishment of the thieves were accessories and likewise blamable...
...It is so necessary that in my State and in the State of the Senator from South Dakota and other States, in order to secure nitrogen from the air, some years we do not raise a crop, but give the land constant cultivation so as to give it an opportunity to get some nitrogen from the air...
...At times from 500 to 700 carpenters would be idle for periods of a day or more, drawing full pay and overtime...
...Then Mr...
...Instead of expending all this energy upon the farm in cultivating this tremendously large area you can cut it down to one-half and still produce more than we are producing today...
...An employee in one of the mess halls desired to have a small potato slicer connected up with the electrical current...
...I believe that this is the beginning, and the right beginning...
...President, we cultivate in the springwheat States in the neighborhood of 20,000,000 acres, and when you consider that some years we produce less than 200,000,000 bushels—from 180.000,000 to 225,000,000 bushels —you can readily see the tremendously low average...
...On one occasion 200 skilled laborers were brought from Detroit and Flint, Mich., consisting of brick masons, millwrights, and other skilled trades...
...It is absolutely necessary...
...Does Mr...
...Lenroot do during the war and what has he done since the war to relieve the situation...
...These electricians received time and a half, and double time on Sunday...
...The most extraordinary and unjustifiable expenditure, in the judgment of the subcommittee, made at any of these nitrate plants was an item for housing at No...
...This applies to all the products of the soil...
...Lenroot on Silence YES, how patriotic it was to keep silent when duty called to speak...
...not one of these war thieves has been punished, and why...
...CITY WITHOUT SMOKE ALTHOUGH we are absolutely dependent on our electricity today, we have still only begun to use it...
...The Senator will remember, however, that when it was attempted by some Members of this body and of the other to call attention to extravagance during the time of war—and I am making this statement for the reason that the Senator asked what would have happened if it had been known by the people of the country that this tremendous waste was going on at the time—the Senator will remember that right here on this floor when Members of this body attempted to ask questions as to the expenditure of money they were immediately termed pro-German...
...Brick masons were employed in wheeling brick into a building for housing purposes...
...Seven electricians reported at 5 o'clock on Saturday evening...
...It is not fair to assume that it is only a certain section of this country that is interested in this proposed legislation, for there is not a State in the Union where the farmers do not need more fertilizer than can be had at a reasonable figure today...
...So many men were thus employed that they were hardly able to keep out of each other's way...
...The skilled labor rates were 2.20 per day in excess of common-labor wages...
...The State which I, in part, have the honor to represent is not using any of this commercial fertilizer today...
...Does not Mr...
...That is absolutely true...
...To which Mr...
...and the grain farmers need this fertilizer just as much as the people of the South need it for cotton or for the production of vegetables...
...He notified the proper official to send him an electrician...
...Here is some of the testimony: "Large numbers of employees were on two pay rolls, and drawing double compensation...
...President, the farmers of the country are greatly discouraged over conditions as they exist today...
...President, we have given this question a great deal of time...
...1, at Sheffield, Ala., would cost $3,000,-000...
...It simply means that it takes two years to raise one crop...
...The land has been, as the farmers say, worn out...
...Men paid for full time on the jo who did nothing for periods of two months or more...
...We cultivate in the United States some 60,000,000 acres of wheat, winter wheat and spring wheat, and when you consider this year's production of 788,000,000 or 790,000,000 bushels, you can readily see that the average of production is tremendously low...
...Because of those Congressmen who have stood back of the Espionage Act that terrorized honest men and prevented free speech...
...and, of course, Mr...
...Life then will be worth living in the cities...
...Those who are friends of the farmer recognize that there is merit in this legislation, both from an economic standpoint and from the standpoint which I mentioned the other day, and I repeat it, that untold millions would be saved to the people of this country if we could secure this product...
...I am sure every Senator here knows that I have no interest in this measure except from the same standpoint that the other Senators have, and that is the standpoint of the common good...
...Muscle Shoals Nitrate Plant SENATOR GRONNA, chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the Senate, discussing the Muscle Shoals nitrate project, said: "Mr...
...In the city present methods of manufacture will be replaced with electrical methods...
...There was nothing for these men to do for fully two months, but they received pay, and overtime, all during that period...
...The present city with its dust and smoke will be unknown...
...we did know that there was extravagance...
...On one occasion 20 skilled mechanics were employed 30 days unloading cars and wheeling concrete...
...These permanent houses are made of tile, with tile roofs, and of the most durable and costly construction...
...Lenroot replied: "I do...
...I stated the other day that from my point of view I should be willing to expend a great deal of money if it were possible to minimize war...
...Mr...
...At one time, to provide Sunday work, 500 carpenters were detailed to build a platform 70 to 120 feet in size, and required to put in their time...
...Mr...
...This was done at skilled mechanics' wages...
...Has he tried to remove the Espionage Act which was passed to throw the blanket of secrecy over the thieves and traitors behind the lines...
...President, I have conferred with men whom I believe to be good lawyers, and I have been told that if the amendments are adopted which I have suggested, but which, of course, cannot offer at this time, because a motion is pending, there could be no possibility of the corporation usurping undue power, as has been suggested by some of the Senators on this floor...
...It will be against the law to have a fire in the city limits...
...That, however, is an expensive method...
...They have very good reason to be discouraged, becaus in nearly every line of agriculture the farmer does not receive more than from 40 to 50 per cent of the cost of his products...
...There was hardly room for the workmen to all get into the room...
...On one occasion 100 carpenters were put in a room 30 by 50 feet to construct it...
...Lenroot was one of those who not only closed his mouth when he should have spoken, but one who helped to close the mouths of others by his vote and his war attitude...
...but there was such necessity for unity of action while we were actually engaged in war that everyone, I think, much as he would have liked to speak and get information, closed his mouth, and did so because he believed that it was his patriotic duty to do so...
...Those who helped to foreclose criticism during the war cannot escape their share of this responsibility by any vicarious atonement...
...The complete cost of construction up to December 31, 1919, was $12,689,676.99...
...President, at that time, while I think none of us dreamed of things as gross as these, we did know, of course, that there was waste...
...Lenroot think that he was helping the "boys over there" or the poor people at home who were buying bonds to help their boys in the miserable struggle into which they had been mercilessly thrown without sufficient training, or equipment...
...Four Times Estimated Cost "THE nitrates supply committee originally estimated that United States nitrate plant No...
...but let me say to you, Senators, that if commercial fertilizer could be obtained at a reasonable price we would use it, and instead of getting 5 or 6 bushels of wheat to the acre—and that is about the yield in the spring-wheat States—that would be doubled and trebled...
...President, I feel that the members of this body should have an opportunity to vote upon this question at as early a time as possible...
...Almost the first thing that was done in this plant, which was to be largely experimental, was to build a large number of the most permanent type of houses...
...You may say, 'What has that to do with this question...
...The motor was small—about 6 inches in diameter—requiring about 10 feet of wire to be laid to connect it up...
...Mr...
...How cowardly it was to force silence upon others by branding them as traitors when they attempted to perform their official duties according to their oath of office...
...Squandering Money on War Those Who Fought to Fxpose Extravagance During War Time Yelled Down as Being "Pro-German"—Report Brings Facts to Light RECENTLY in the Senate when the Muscle Shoals project was up for consideration, Senator Lenroot presented from the Graham Report some interesting figures on the costs of the building of it during the war...
...Skilled mechanics were used to shovel slack out of railroad cars...
...It has this to do with it: It costs as much to plow an acre of ground that produces 6 bushels to the acre as it does to plow one that produces 18 or 20 bushels to the acre, and you can follow that clear down the line...
...In order to make this employment last longer, it was shoveled upon the ground and then from the ground into other cars...
...Foremen applied for work for their men at times when there were ample materials and no work was furnished...
...I ask those of you who have given this question study and those of you who have not had the time to give it the study that has been given to it by the members of the committee at least to give us an opportunity to have a vote upon these amendments and upon the bill in the senate...
...One hundred and twelve houses were built altogether—25 of them for officers, 65 for civilians, and a number of other houses...
...To say that for the Government of the United States to manufacture a small amount of commercial fertilizer will interfere with private business is not the fact...
...Gronna said: "The Senator is doing valuable service, in calling attention to this matter, and I join him most heartily in condemning the waste and extravagance that was going on, not only during the building of this plant bu during the building of other plants...
...When it was turned on for test, having been wrongly connected, it burned out...
...It needs fertilizer...
...that the Government of the United States itself shall produce the explosives used for military purposes, because those explosives are used for destruction, and there ought to be no profit to any individual or any corporation upon any material of that sort used to destroy human life...
...twenty-five years in prison has been given to conscientious objectors...
...What did Mr...
...Large numbers of skilled carpenters were required to report for weeks on a job where there was nothing provided for them to do...
...There were three crews of men on this job, making an approximate excess of labor on this one job of $3,900...
...Mr...
...The seven electricians worked from the time they came on Saturday until 5 o'clock on Sunday evening on connecting this motor...
...Twenty-five years in prison has been meted out to those who spoke the truth...
...it is of vast importance to the American people...
...1 plant aggregating $1,852,-259.99...
Vol. 13 • January 1921 • No. 1
