The sun., 1916-12-30
VIRGINIA WAKES FAT
OUT OF PORK BARREL
Gets s., 900 Of SO, 200. 900
for Construction Of Capt.
tai Warships.
II THICK SLICES TOO
Sister State Of North Carolina
Likewise Gets More Than
Its Share From Congress.

One Of the striking facts yielded by
sven q casual survey Of the pork lesisla-
uou recommended BY Southern Con-
gressmen is the dominant part being
played by the delegation from Virginia.
the State where President Wilson was
born. Virginia with tho aid Of North
Carolina is the backbone of the pork
system. Its delegation has u united way
Of going after things that is not to be
resisted.
Four Of It's ten Representatives are
chairmen Of important committees OF the
House. another the ranking member aad
oss Of tho guiding forces Of another
ceomittee. One Of It's Senators IL chair
~ OF the Committee on Appropriations
aad h other Is chairman OF the Public
Buildings Committee and virtually head
Of the Committee on Naval Affairs They
are he big men OF the Democratic or
ganisAtion in Congress.
Virginia has obtained $1,000. 900 OF the
$4,000 900 appropriated for fitting navy
yards for the construction Of capital
ohipe a. we'll as the appropriation for
B flying field and training station for
u army and navy aviation service.
These are two of the big projects intro-
0uoed In Congress In connection with
national defence. And besides these two
large slices out of the national funds
Virginia has founda a way to get salts
factory nibbles from the public buildings
ofl and the rivers and harbors bill.
NoFth Carolina Close Secoad.
North Carolina runs not far behind
Virginia In the matter OF success in get
ting pork for the folks back home. OF
Its ten Representatives nine arc Demo-
crAts who have been reelected, some OF
them many times. -Four OF the min have
chAirmaQshlps, three OF them important.
lts Seno1ors have the chairmanships of
the committees on Rules and Finance.
North Carolina has bitten of as large a
chunk Of the public buildings appropria-
ton Is any State In the Union.
Inspired by the example of the MEM
oers from Virginia and North Carolina
other Consressmen have not been back
ward In pushing their demands and get
ting them satisfied in a way that has
caused roars of protest from all over the
0ountry. Several OF the other large pre-
peredness measures. such as the nitrate
plant. the armor plate plant n the
naval laboratory, havo also found a
homo in tho South.
In their desire for pork Southern on
gressmen ave loaded the public build
inss bill with appropriations for ex-
pensive post offices at country cross
roads. monuments to the industry of
their Representatives and have loaded
the rivers n harbors bill with appro-
priations for continued projects. many
of which have been continued SO long
that the progress OF the country has
passed them and rendered them almost
valueless when they are completed.
Due to Organization.
How has It been done?
"O~rganisation." was the answer OF a
Congressman who a watched with in
terest and some envy the shoulder ia
shoulder members from the South. The
attitude OF the Southern Congressman
toward his job Is quite different from
that Of the Representative from the
North or Northwest. He looks on poll
tics. which means to him membership in
Congress. as a life work. whereas the
man from the North more often goes to
Congress as a diversion. or to a n
name for himself so that he can win his
way more easily In some other profess
si0a.
"The members from the South are
bound together by a common interest,
whereas those from the North have iMdi-
vidual interests that preclude the possi-
bility OF their getting together except on
extraordinary occasions. The Southerner
comes from a district that returns him
year after year 60 long AS he keeps on
good terms with his constituents by feed
ing them ample quantities OF pork. II Is
what some Southern communities live
on. The Northerner, who has done
pretty we'll In his day. does not have be-
hind him the constant clamor for pork
that the Southerner has,
Delegation Long In Service.
"And guided by this community Of in
terast they organize in a way that is
hard to beat. Take the delegation from
Virginia, for instance. There are ten Rep
resentatives, one Of whom is a Republi-
ran. All In the present Congress were
reelected. William A. Jones, the senior
member. has served in twelve Com
crosses. Carter Glass Is chairman OF the
Committee on Banking and Currency F:
Henry d. Flood Is chairman OF the Com
mittes IN Foreign Affairs; Jones Is
chairman of the Committee on Insular
AfairS; Charles G. Carlin Is ranking
member IN the Committee on Judiciary /:
AUG may 10 NHt.l ildii Ol ~ AOInIll4t-
tee on Military Affairs.
Senator Martin IL chairman OF the
powerful Committee on Appropriations
n Senator Swanson Is chairman OF the
Committee On Public Buildings. that
committee which handles the prize pork
bill of them all. Although Ben Tillman
" chairman of the Senate Committee on
Naval Affairs Swanson Is practically the
head OF that committee also. Pretty
good for Virginia.
North Carolina . Power.
~Of the North Carolina delegation in
the House Claude Kitchln Is chairman OF
h Ways and Means Committee. Ed
ward w. Pou chairman of the Committee
on Claims and ranking member Of the
powerful Committee on Rules Hannibal
l.. Goodwin Is chairman OF the Commit
tee on Reform in the Civil Service and
Edwin Y. Webb chairman of the Com
mittee on judiciary. Senator Overman is
chairman Of the Committee on Rules and
q strong member OF the Committee on
Appropriations. while Senator Simmons
10 chairman OF the Finance Committee.
"Is It to he wondered at that these
men should he able TO do about as they
wish or that the South gets It's pork
when 1t goes after ~"
a list OF the c~hairmanships OF the va
rlous important committees I'm the House
shows the preponderance of Southern in
fiuence. The only Craftsmanship OF i'm
portance held by a Northerncr is that OF
the Committee on Appropriations, Of
which John j. Fitzgerald is the head.
southern Chairmen.
ThA 1,St In, xs.1gyt tLz IN 1-.t a.