The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-02-21
PRESIDENT MAY VETO
APPROPRIATION BILL
BEFORE CONGRESS
HAS ASKED WHAT EFFECT THE
REFUSAL TO SIGN THE SAME
WOULD HAVE.
congressman ARE WORRIED

OUNuAL0JM[N Ak[ WUkkIED
Looks Askance at Public Buildings
and Rivers BiIs.-Signed the
Sherwood Pension Grab Without
Batting an Eye.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-Con-
gressional visitors to the White
House to-day reported that the Pre-
sident asked them about the general
ACCESSIBILITY and political effect of
possible vetoes of the Public Build
ings and Rivers and Harbors appro-
priations measures Mr.. Taft did
not say he would veto these bills
when they reach him; but he was re-
ported as having alluded to and even
discussed the possibility, which was
enough to senG cold chills down the
backs of nearly every member of
Congress.
Kentucky is small sharer, locally,
in the Rivers bill yet her allotment
is about $150,000, exclusive of the
big general appropriations for the
Ohio and Mississippi. In the Pub
lie Buildings BILL when that meas
ure goes to the President, Kentucky
will have about $550,000 interest,
and many States will have more.
Thus Kentucky alone would stand to
lose about 100000 by the veto of
these two measures.
All other States would be affected
in greater or lesser degree and the
anxiety of their representatives in
Congress may be imagined when the
pilgrims returned from the White
House with concern written on their
features.
This is time when presidential
veto are vital matters The Con-
gress expires by statutory limitation
March H. and there is no time offord-
ed to overrule vetoes affixed to the
bills toward the end of the short
session. The extra session will have
no time to consider pork barrels"
and it will be next January before
they can be reached again. Then
Woodrow Wilson, with his unknown
views on pork" will be in the White
,, House and on the whole, the entire
prospect is the one Congressman do
not like to contemplate
1t is true, of course, that this is
the fixed time for the circulation of
veto rumors Usually they circulate
as pure rumors and seldom come
true.
This year the rumors already have
this basis: The President has dis
cussed their possibility, expedency
and advisability with members of
Congress. The visitors, returning
to the other end of the avenue, said
the President is convinced Congress
is running away with the public
money, and as a result, the condition
of national defense-the Naval I'LL
is in danger, to say nothing of the
economy pledges made in all party
platforms last summer.
Since the beginning of his admin
istration. the President has been
preaching economy He had created
an Economy Commission and turned
loose half dozen investigators
upon the various executive depart
ments of the Government The re-
suit was sweeping report which hit
at extravaganza in one form or an
other and in every department of the
Government. This report was the
subject of successive presidential
messages to Congress. All this was
matter of Taft policy and matter
of much Taft speech-making and
message writing, but it is not or
record taht the President ever Veto
ed and appropriation bill during his
four-year term, because it carried too
much money. He disapproved sew
eral appropriation bills, such as
that providing money for the amy,
but not on the ground of a waste of
public money. And he signed the
Sherwood Pension grab" without
batting an eye.