The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-07-02

Economy is practiced on the West
ern States, but the South is getting
everything it asks for, both in the
way of appropriations, and in gen.
eral legislation. For illustration,
Senator Brady secured the adoption
of several amendments to the aeri-
cultural appropriation bill, one of
them providing that half Of the $780,
600 appropriated for farm demonstra-
ton work should be allotted to and
expended through Boys and Girls
Clubs. The Senate accepted this
amendment, but the House turned it
down. and the democratic Senate
then Joined with the House, and the
amendment was eliminated. The
same thing happened with Senator
Brady's amendment appropriating $685.
900 to enable the University of
Idaho to continue it's experiments in
the distribution of stumps and lum-
ber-mill waste. After adopting the
amendment, the Senate reversed it.
SELF when the House voted against
the appropriation. The House incor-
porated in the agricultural bill an ap-
preparation of $4,000 for demonstra-
ton work on government irrigation
projects. with a Wow to aiding the
settlers in learning proper methods
of irrigating and handling irrigated
crops. Senator Brady offered an
amendment. which the Senate agreed
to, increasing this appropriation to
$4,000, because he was satisfied the
House appropriation was too small
to be effective. The Senate voted
the increase but when the House
protested, the democrats of the Sen
ate agreed to compromise, and this
appropriation finally was fixed at
$40, 900. Senator Brady commended
from the first that at least 500. 900
should be appropriated for reclama-
ton demonstration work, hut at no
time would the Senate agree to more
than half that amount But while
the two houses of Congress were cut
ting out these small appropriations for
the West. they appropriated millions
for various lines of work for the
benefit of cotton growers of the South,
and for the tobacco growers. Sena.
tor Brady did his utmost to have his
retained, but Southern
opposition was too strong to be over
come.
Another illustration of discrimina-
ton against the West is found in
the action of the House in refusing
to accept Senate amendments for
the operation of western
assay offices. Senator Brady offered
an amendment, which the Senate
adopted, appropriating $1,000 to con-
tinue operation of the Boise assay
office for another year. The SEN
ate agreed to this amendment, and
to similar amendments for Helena,
Salt Lake, Deadwood, and Carson.
The House declares that all these
offices shall be closed, but insists
upon retaining the defunct mint at
New Orleans, which costs the gov
eminent three times as much as any
Of the western assay offices, and
which handles principally gold CON-
Ing from Central and South America.
The western assay offices, located |
in gold producing states, are to be |
closed, if the South finally wins its
fight, while the New Orleans mint, |
which is not nothing more than an i
assay office, located a thousand miles |
Dr. more from any important gold
mine, is to be continued, largely to
afford offices for Southern democrats.
The assay office appropriations are
still in dispute, but as both branches
If Congress are hostile to the West,
he chance of securing adequate ap-
for the Western offices
8 very slight.