Speech #610110117

Sir. whether or not this liberal patronage of the Government was the cause of such highhanded coercion I do not know. but I do know it was a strong inducement for such coercive conduct. But. sir. extravagance does not exist alone in the three departments mentioned. but has invaded and exists in every department of the National Government. Congress about three years ago appointed a commission to investigate the subject of foreign immigration to this country. It traveled nearly all over the world on a junket at the expense of the Government. and has cost the people of this country $657.000 and has not reported yet the result of its work. only its expense. and has had $125.000 more appropriated to complete its work. thereby entailing a total cost of $782.000 on the people. It was useless to create such a commission. because men could have been taken out of the Commerce and Labor Department of the Government. trained in this branch of work. who could and would have performed this work more satisfactorily for less than onetenth of what it has cost. and would have reported before this time the result of their work to the public.