Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1917 — GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY [ARTICLE]

GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY

After hearing so much abuse of the government officials during the recent campaign by men of the caliber of Congressman William “Leak” Wood and paid magazine and newspaper writers, it will be to learn some of the inside facts as disclosed by the following article taken from a recent issue of the New York World: ‘■‘There will be none *of the shameful pra-tics in this war that scandalized the country when, during the war with Spain, the United States government was robbed right and left. .Manufacturers and others have manifested a wholly different spirit; and wtie re the sense of fair dealing is found lacking the government will exercise the po.we'r ■ granted by . congress 1 to .protect- it ' by' summary measures. No 0.. e will cet rich quick in the natioms e: i rgi m-y by trading on its 1 - ■■ • ; • By his prompt action the day war - d6‘ ini’i 1 Secretary Daniels s 1 _ .merit $20,000,000. In tl.‘? ;■'.r’-h::>e of steel for naval cm. ion by negotiation he set cured a i d:■ ti. n of prices that amoti.m to siS,000,000; On the cost of torpedoes, by executive action. the mivy department saved over ‘ O by fixing a price coverng p ■ du-ton and a reasonable profit, where- the manufacturer’s bids were found, to’ be excessive. By agreement with the Council of National Defense the copper interests have Offered to- supply’ over 45,000,000 piiiinds of copper for the army’ and navy at about half the market price. , . - ‘'The rille of . reasonable prices will be ' inexorably enforced. The manufacturer who hesitates or refuses to do his part will find ‘ the egbyernniwnt. .prepared .to ' . regulate ♦ prices: or take over his plant and Operate it. It is well that this point has been made clear at the start by Secretary Daniels.’’ This is the same .Josephus Daniels,! secretary of the navy, who was so roundly abused by the paid Writers and "leak ’ specialists. And the most sorrowful part of the matter is that these paid writers and their co-workers in the congress caused many an honest citizen to actually believe that Secretary Dan iels was letting everything go tc rack and ruin. But such facts as are disclosed above tend to show the genuine efficiency of the nier in charge of the nation's affairs -El Washington. .