The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-09-22
.PgRE! BARREL GETS llET
Confined from Page one.)I

L l.
Continued from Page one.)
age further investments Of this kinl
lin other directions.
7 earnestly hope that the time ma,
come in the not distant future whel
the plan for completing this Ohio riy
er Improvement shall be changed 5,
as to make the time six years for com
pletion instead of12. oneofthe grea
hindrances to the success OF the, i'm
proyement Of our waterways has beer
the delay incident to the completion
of each project. That has grown out
Of the method pursued in framing the
river and harbor appropriation bills,
May Delay Improvements.
AS these waterways improvements
are to be carried on in upwards Of two,
thirds Of the congressional districts,
1t can be readily understood what the
pressure is from their reports in Con.
gress to have every project that is
approved appropriated for: This is
done with very little regard to the
comparative merits OF the different
improvements, and It has a tendency
to delay every improvement number
of years beyond the time when It
might be made profitable by early
completion. This is what has been
called the piecemeal policy and is
very unsatisfactory.
"a supervising board Of engineers
should recommend 10 Congress the i'm.
provements in order Of their import.
ance and should have the power to adj.
wise that body that the beginning Of
certain improvements should be post
poned until other improvements are
completely finished. 1t BY no means
follows that a departure from the pres.
ent system would postpone the compile
tion of many of these improvements
any more than they are likely to be
delayed under the present system.
at is doubtful how far, by executive
order can go in directing the engi-
neers to make recommendation in
forming congess as to the relative i'm
portance of the projects adopted and
entered upon. l think have gone as
far as can in this matter, and shall
ask congress for more power at It's
next session.
I'm signing the last river and har.
Dor bill. which was subject to the crltl-
cism that many items were contained
therein that were merely Vpiecemeals,
indicated to congress that the pas
sage of another bill Of that character
would merit veto. Certainly until
this fundamental reform is put into
effect the Improvement of our rivers
and inland waterways will be chiefly
important because of the local advan.
tage OF the money expended, and not
because Of the betterment Of our trans
portation. u .i''''''i
THE evil in the corrupt control of
congress or legislature by private In
terests is manifest anG always calls
for condemnation. But there is an
other kind of legislative abuse as dan
gerous and that is the selfish combi-
nation of the representatives of the
majority to expend the money OF the
government for temporary benefit of
part or with little benefit to the whole.
1t is the duty Of the majority and the
minority to legislate always for the
benefit of the whole people, and any
enactment that looks to the selfish
EXPEDITION OF less than the whole at
the expense OF the whole and without
benefit to the whole, is species of
legislative abuse that ocmes very near
corruption in its cffest and is perhaps
more dangerous than corruption, be-
cause those who support such COM
binatlon are generally bold in It's de-
Tense.
"The days OF the pork barrel should
be numbered. The country is reused
against corporate or corrupt control
of legislative agencies. butt 1t Is doubt.
full whether the constituencies as yet
are able to perceive the higher obli-
CATION on the part of themselves and
their representatives not to use their
votes in combination to appropriate
to a part that which belongs to the
whole"