Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-03-01
The Good Roads "ROrk Barrel"

What is regarded as the most gigantic pork bar.
rel proposition ever attempted by any Congress is
the $25,00O.0O0 item in the Appropriation Act recently
passed by the House of Representatives for the alleg-
cd purpose Of q national highway.
Says the Newark News:
ITO get a pork barrel. bill through. every, fellow
must have a %penchant for pork, and SO states like
New jersey, New, York and Massachusetts, that have
not waited for federal appropriations, share with Mis-
souri,, South Carolina and Texas in the distribution
Of the appropriation.
"While there is a semblance. of equality in the
plan of distribution, it is shrewdly devised to the
advantage of those states that have done little or
nothing for themselves in the way of road improve.
ment. One-half the funds to be divided Oh a basis
Of population, and the other half on a basis Of post
road mileage in each state, as prop0rti0nate to the
total Of such mileage in the United States. As this
includes star routes and stage routes, 1t is evident
that the South andWest will benefit more i'll this dis
~tribution than the thickly settled states of the East"
The Philadelphia Press seeks to justify the appro-
prlation by saying:
The sum of $25. 100000 is not magnificent when it
comes to be distributed among f~orty:tlree states. In
its application to roads in some states, it means for
road building double the amount appropriated, be-
cause of the conditions attached that no money shall
be paid out on any road work until an equal amount
towards the joint construction shall be provided by
the local authorities. In those states already enlisted
III the work OF road building, the federal grant will!
be a welcome addition. For Pennsylvania, there will
come 1923, $50 should the bill become a law, and it
should be a real addition to the states appropriation
and not be made, an excuse for reducing the states
expenditure by q single dollar"
The Springfield Union regards tie appropriation
as a raid toni the treasury for . partisan purpose,
and Observes
1T is well not to be in great haste about voting
large sums OF government money for this object.
Self-reliance in this matter is just as good a rule for
the Southern and Western states as for Massachu-
sets. And II the government is to appropriate liber-
ally. for this object, let US take pains to avoid the
mistake that so long attached to our expenditures for
rivers and harbOrs and SO order our expenditures as
to derive the greatest possible permanent va:ue
therefrom. President Taft read some wholesome lee
lures to Congress on the pork barrel question"
Es-,-S - t@
Under the title 81 johnny Opie Read,
the most popular ;;6f all the fiction writer's Of ten
years ago, comes back" in the March Red Book
Magazine. with a story that has some Of the finest
lumor he has ever done. This is a sample. The
story opens on q train in Georgia during a yellow
fever scare. Enters a typical Southern colonel.
Quarantine officers arc taking the temperatures Of all
messengers who have not health certificates. The,
colonel refuses to have his taken The officers dc,
mand an explanation. WELL. SIR" answers the
] colonel, Il don't want to advertise it throughout the
state of Georgia, but / have Just had. an ace.full
beaten back there, and Ill be hanged If this Is the
time to take my temperature