River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-07-02
WASHINGTON LETTER
FROM JAMES A. FRE.R, MEMBER OF
CONGRESS-, 10Th DlsTEIcT

dry civil bill carrying over a
hundred million dollars a%ppropri-
alton has passed the House. 1t i
a cleanup appropriation bill car
rying items of all sorts from
printing and public buildings TO
expenditures for the White House
lots and the Presidents travelling
expenses. He is given $4,000 for
travelling expenses and is not re-
CURED to furnish any itemized ac-
count. An evidence Of fairness
among men of different political
persuasion is found when special
items of that general character re-
ceive the united support of all
parties. In other words, political
differences are based on questions
Of public policy and appropria-
ton bills are supported irrespec-
tive of ~partizanship with the re-
~servation that the Administration
in power assumes r responsibility
for extravaganza.
A proposal to give the Vice
President and Speaker private au-
tomobiles was before the House
Friday. On two roll calls many
Republicans supported the propos-
al and the Democrats were divid-
ed. On the last vote the amend
ment was lost by a tie vote-127
to 127. ] voted against the pro-
position believing that if we *
tend such favors TO these officials,
demands will be forthcoming from
Department Heads, Chiefs of Bu-
reaus and other subordinates. II
we are not paying our officers
enough, we should %squarely in
crease their salaries and not pro-
vide for two officials luxuries, that
are withheld from others. This
vote may be up again, but [ have
indicated the position taken by
several Of the Wisconsin members
who acted Independently and yet
came to the same conclusion, ac-
cording to the vote.
The river and harbor bill fight
was brought on in the Senate
Friday. Simmons of North Caro-
lima, who has 26 projects in the
bill, tried to force it on while Bur-
tons Borah, Norris and others ems
deavored to prevent consideration
on that day. A queer situation
was developed. Kenyon who ex-
poets to talk for several days a
gainst the bill, was not expected
to reach the city from a trip to
Iowa before Monday. LaFollette
who had arranged to talk against
it, is i'll and the doctor will not
allow him to resume his duties for
perhaps a week or more. Burton
who is ready to talk against the
bill is also indisposed and told me
he might not be able to spend as
much time as he hoped. Borah.
however was on guard and Clapp
expects to get in against it this
week.
Two developments are of inter
est. One of these discloses the
fact that four of the worst pro-
iects I denounced on the House
floor amounting to $4,000 have
been stricken out by the Senate
Committee. This shows the effect
of publicity on bad propositions.
They were the Matawan, Kissim-
NEE and a tributary, and the Ok
alwaha rivers. Congratulations
are premature because these crook
ed items may be put back in. con-
ference but the bill is not law yet.
Another pleasant surprise came in
the form of personal cOmmenda-
ton from the strongest. member
of the House Committee for my
"~clean, hard fight"
1t is now conceded that a good
fight is on-the hardest for years
and [ attribute much of it to sup
port by press and magazines. The
New York Press of Thursday had
two columns on my analysis of the
bill, and papers from many states
are hammering away at the same
issue. Several strong magazines
are to follow the Saturday Even
ing Post and Worlds Work en-
dorsement of the fight, while my
correspondence shows letters Of
approval from a dozen members
from the other side of the Capitol.
If the barrel is not busted this
year, it will have a few slaves
knocked off before it faces the
President, and I am still hopeful
he will never permit it to become
a law-if it gets to him.
An appropriation of S25,OOO for
a legislative reference library of
Congress was offered by Congress-
man Lenroot last week as an
amendment to an appropriation