Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-29
OMNIBUS PUBLIC
BUILDING BILL PASSED BY
LAST CONGRESS.
ONLY REPUBLICANS TO
OPPOSE VICIOUS MEASURE
Dayton-Appropriaton Of 100000
For Federal Building in Alabama
Hamlet of 200 Souls-MilIons Wasted
to Aid Members in Home Districts.

Fort Dodge. March 29.-In speech !
last night before the Commercial CLUB
al Dayton, Iowa, Senator W. s. Kenyon !
entered an emphatic protest against !
the omnibus public building bill! passed
al the last session OF congress. He !
declared he had been criticised because !
he mad voted againsI the bill, aitno
II carried ten or eleven appropriations
for public buildings in Iowa.
Senator Kenyon cited an approprla- |
ton OF 500 900 for q public building
in Jasper, Ala, town of 200 people,
the home of one OF the senators from
Alabama.
Il shall always be glad said SEN
ator Kenyon that l voted against the
bill. and have no apologies for 50 do
ing, aitho l was the only republican
dong so, and we could not muster over
sixteen votes against it. I purpose TO
vote against such pork barrel bills
every time they come up. and l am not
going to vote for such vicious measures
because some part OF the money is 20
spent in my state. I notice in one DEM
ocratc paper that I would probably
vote for the bill had it carried an
appropriation al Fort Dodge. Not so.
The city of Fort Dodge illustrates TINS
vicious system. We had there build
ing costing 900. With slight adj
d!tion of say ten or twenty thousand
dollars it would have been amply
sufficient for all the business there
conducted for many years 10 come.
This building was torn down in order
| to expend $4,000 TO erect new
structure. Had I been in congress al
-i-,oa 7 should vO!e6 against
that BILL
LET the People Know
Senator kenyon's speech, entitled
Let the People Know was as fol-
lows:
Y have been criticised for voting
against the omnibus public building bill
at the last session OF congress. Most
of the criticism has been because the
said bill provides eleven or twelve
buildings for the state of Iowa. Inc
Iowa public buildings were in al! prob
ability Ineritorious matters. and me
appropriations in most instances, al
least. should have been made on the
merits OF the case.
The bill, however, was fun Of aT-
preparations absolutely uniustilaole
The bill was denounced by some OF
! the leading democrats III the house as
! the worst m easure Of its kind that
| ever had passed the house 1t vas de-
nounced in the senate by Senator Kern,
! Senator O'Gorman. of New York, ana
! Senator owen. of Oklahoma, on the
| democratic side, and by myself on the
/ republ side. II vas suggested 10
me by one Of the senators from another
state who was interested in the OIL!
! that l ought not 10 fight the bill be-
| cause my state was 10 receive ten or
. eleven public buildings. In other WorGs.
il is expected apparently by those VINO
are engaged in plundering the public
! treasury that if man receives enough
buildings for his state, he will vote for
| any kind of measure. This illustrates
the viciousness Of such a bill. II is a
! combination of local interests against
the public welfare.
Viciousness Of Measure.
The bill carried an appropriation OF
500, 900 Tor public building at Jas
! per, Ala town Of 200 people and the
home of one Of the senators from Ala
| oan1a Il carried appropriations for
sites in towns OF less than 1000 people.
Paintsville. KY. was one Of these. In
! the bill there was an appropriation OF
| $4,000 for q site and the senate in
creased this 10 $500 1t was urged
that if congress did not hurry and Sc
cure the site for Paintsville. il would
| be impossible to get anything there
Paintsyille. I think. has the tremendous
population Of eight or nine hundred
people.
New Castle, Nyo.. was another, and
many others might be mentioned.
j The bill as originally introduced had
$1,000, 900 for bridge across the Po-
tonac at Washington. This was re-
duced finally 70 $500 900. Even at
that. it was wasteful extravaganza. II
carried over one million dollars for an
armory in the city of Washington. In
jall. it carried appropriations OF $4,000
900.
Only Opposing Republican.
Il shall always be glad voted
against the bill, and have no apollo
gies for SO doing, altho I was the only
republican doing 50, and we could not
muster over sixteen votes against II.
I purpose to vote against such pork
barrel bills every time they come up.
and I am not going to vote for such
vicious measures because some part
OF the money is to be spent in my
state. notice in one democratic paper
that / would probably vote for the bill
had it carried an appropriation at
Fort Dodge. Not so! The city of Fort
Dodge illustrates this vicious system.
We had there building costing s15. 900
which. with a slight addition Of say
ten or twenty thousand dollars. would
have been amply sufficient for all the
business there conducted for many
wears 20 come. This building was torn
; down in order to expend $4,000 70
erect a new structure Had I been in
congress at that time, l should have
voted against the bill.