The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-16
STIFF FIGHT IS MADE BY THE DEMOCRATS
 BUT IN VAIN
Bitter Discussion Against the Appropri. ation, Allowing S25,fOO for the Pro. posed Travels of President Taft.

Washington, July lb--An approPrid- tion of S25, 900 for the travelling expen- ses of the President has been voted by the House of Representatives. When the salary of the President was increased last year from $5O,O0O to S75, 900 the annual allowance of $25,OOO which MT. Roosevelt had received to defray the cost of his journeyings was not provided for MT. Taft's benefit. Yesterdays action of the House was intended as a permanent restoration of the Presidential allowance.
 President Taft's desire to visit the Pacific coast and other sections of the country to which he has been invited was made the subject of bitter discus sion in the House by Democratic or ators while the travel allowance was under consideration.
 'eWanderlust," ..show performan- applied to the Presidents peregrina- tions, while one Democrat, Represen- tative Rainey of Illinois, boldly charg- ed that the Presidents proposed trip to the West this fall was intended solely as a political mission. He quot ed statements made in newspaper re- ports in an effort to sustain his con- ,tention- These were to the effect that John Hays Hammond of the League of Republican Clubs was to. accom- pany the President and would take ad- vantage of the opportunity to boost the Republican club movement
 The question of MT. Taft's journey to the Pacific coast came up in con- nection with the deficiency bill. which carries the appropriation of s25.OOO to defray the cost of the Presidents travelling expenses. This measure was reported by Representative Tawney of Minnesota, chairman of the Commit tee on Appropriations. While the bill was made the excuse for a num- Der of flights of oratory on the tariff the provision relating to the Presi- dents travelling expenses excited most of the discussion.
 The item was opposed by all of the Democratic speakers, including Minor ity Leader Clark of Missouri, Repre- sentatixes Fitzgerald of New York, Bowers of Mississippi, Macon of Ar kansas and Livingston of Georgia. The burden of the Democratic complaint was that Chairman Tawney was gull ty of "bad faith" in asking the House to make an appropriation for the Pres ident's travelling expenses in the face of promises alleged to have been made at the last session, when the Presi- dents salary was increased from $50,- 900 to $75,0O0 a year. At that time it agreement was reached that no effort would be made later to secure appro- priations for the Presidents travelling expenses. This was denied by MT. Tawney and other Republican leaders. Representative Rainey was particu- larly bitter in his reference to the travels of the President. He deeiar- ed that MT. Taft had been generously treated by Congress and that no good argument could be offered in justifca- tion of the proposed appropriation. MT. Rainey directed attention to the fact that a few weeks before MT. Taft en- tered the White House the sum of $25.000 was made available for the maintenance of the Presidents sta Eles. In addition, he said, $25, 900 had been appropriated to purchase auto mobiles for the new President. Then Congress increased the Presidents salary. Furthermore MT. Rainey al- legged, there was on hand from the previous administration $12,GO0 or $15,O00 that President Roosevelt had failed to spend on his travels as he was authorized to do by Congress.
 "Now," said the man from Illinois, i've are asked to appropriate S25,OOO more to enable MT. Taft to move from place to place about the country Be- fore MT. Taft became President, MT. Rainey said, he showed a disposition to travel. "A navy vessel was remod- eled," said MT. Rainey, "and Mir. Taft sailed in luxurious style over easy tropical seas to the distant Isthmus of Panama, all at the expense of the Government"