The Washington herald., 1912-07-27
PORK BARREL NOT
DEAD--SLEEP|NG
Next Years Bill, Which Is Now
Ready for Presentation,
Is Accumulative.
aPoRK" FOR BOTH SESSIONS
BY JOSEPH p. ANNIN.

BY JOSEPH p. ANNIN.
The docility with which the House
Democrats allowed their "economizers'' to
keep from them the annual pork barrel
public building bin was explained yester-
day. The members who expected public
buildings this year will be royalty COM
pensated for their sacrifice as soon as
the next session of Congress convenes In
December At that time an omnibus bill.
which already has been drawn up. sub
Ject to additions, will be presented and
rushed through. II win be the heaviest
pork barrel which a majority hSs fed
from for years. containing the public
buildings appropriations for TWO years
rolled into one bill. The members are
not to sacrifice their personal and polit-
ical interests In their districts in the
interest Of public economy: they merely
are to wait until the coming election is
past. that the House Democrats may
have the credit for reducing public ex-
penditurea.
This Is the programme and these are
the expectations of the members who
have fought the battleship programme
on the grounds Of economy. Just how
far this programme will be carried out
next session is. OF course. problematical
Leaders May Balk.
Whether the leaders Of the House next
session will stand for such a programme
or whether whoever is in the White
House will permit the accumuIative raid
On the Treasury, is a matter of grave
doubt. But the bill is tentatively pre-
pared and waiting to be presented and
rushed through at the earliest possible
moment next session. Its size Is estimated
variously at from $3oo00.000 to si0.-
OOO.0O0
Both sides are watching the battleshIp
fight closely, and the Democrats with
some anxiety. due TO the fact that
Speaker Clark and Majority Leader
Underwood are on opposite sides OF the
controversy. Mr.. Underwood. It is un-
derstood, OVERRIDE his own convictions
on the battleship programme In order
TO uphold the platform pledge. Mr..
Clark was generally expected to follow
the same course as Mr.. Underwood, but
he voted in the caucus against any ad-
diton to the battleship feet at this ses-
sion. Some coolness between the Speak
CT and the floor leader since the DEM
ocratic convention has been marked, but
It was not expected TO make itself gen
orally felt In the closing days Of the
session. The fact that the two leaders
take opposite SIDES in this question, how
ever. cannot be taken as conclusive
PROOF that they are entirely out of SYM
pathy or that they will continue to work
at cross-purposes-
Compromise Turned Down.
The two factions OF the House cont,n-
ued yesterday tightening the lines over
the battleship question. In q final at
party. or the boiling of a large number
from ha nj ha
ship leaders offered to accede to the
Senate additions in submarines and tor
pedo boats IL the no-battleship plan be
allowed to go through. This basis of
compromise found no friends among
those Democrats who desire at least one
hattleship this session. The Baltimore
platform and the supposed desire of Can
didate Wilson regarding battleship con-
struction again were advanced In at
tack on the caucus action. In reply to
the platform argument, some members
interpreted the plank dealing with the
navy in that instrument to be favorable
to well balanced navy. rather than to
the construction OF additional warships
this session. By stopping for this year
the battleship construction and by in
creasing the number of colliers, subma-
rines and torpedo boats. these members
say the platform pledge will be carried
out; that the navy will be better bal
snced."
Signing Up Petition.
Representative Sulzer OF New York, one
of the leading two-battleship advocates
of the House. was busy yesterday circu-
lating his petition for a fourth caucus
on the subject Mr.. Sulzer claimed to
have procured the signatures OF thirty
five Democrats TO his petition, and stated
that before he finished he would have
100 signatures. All OF these, Mr. Sulzer
claimed. are two-battleship Democrats
and the result OF the next caucus will
he the passage OF a resolution instruct
Ing the House conferees to accede to
the Senate amendments and permit two
1t was generally understood yesterday
that Sulzer and several other Democrats
who believe as he does. have served notice
on Representative Burleson, chairman OF
the caucus. that they will not be bound
by its dictum on the battleship question
II the pro-battleship men fail to change
the verdict of the caucus. some of them
have declared. II is their intention to bolt
and vote with the Republicans to accedo
to the Senate amendments
Representative Burnett. OF the Public
Buildings and Grounds Committc, and
who has led the fight against hattleshins
with the mo public buildings. no battle
ships" slogan. denied yesterday that n
pork barrel bill is now ready for in.
PRODUCTION early next session. Mr.. Bur
nett is acting chairman OF his committee.
Mr.. Burnett was the only Democrat ques-
toned who pleaded ignorance Of the bill
Three of the members. who admitted the
existence Of the bill in Its present tenta-
tive foam. were chairmen of three OF the
most influential committees of the House.
Two Of them were no-battleship men.