The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-03-08
THE PUBLIC PORK BARREL

/ scarcely on the map are securing
palatial government structures, sos
cities in the United States doing a
postal business of more than $4,000
annually have no postoffices at all
| and are compelled to worry along
| in rented buildings. Numerous in
stances are cited in which imposing
buildings are erected for occupancy
| by a pOstoffice force consisting of
three or four persons. When an APP
preparation is authorized not to eX-
coed" a certain amount the congress
man labors earnestly to see that the
full amount is expended, even if it
| be necessary TO install mural decora-
tons; and in one instance named by
Mr.. Hendrick the chandeliers were
goldplated in order to do this. MI
merOus phOtograp hic reproductions
supplement the article, one of them
showing a $1,000, 900 Greek temple
of pink marble built in New Haven
! because president Taft told the
committee that he would be president
only a few days longer, after which
| he would teach school in New Hav-
en-" Another shows the federal
building, costing 100000, built at
Big Stone Gap, Va, tiny mountain
community with apopulatiOn OF q
| $50, and another one, costing the
! same, at Harrison, Ark, population
500. Gainesville, Fla, has a pop
ulation of 5000, and its government
| building cost $150,000
In his article Mr.. Hendrick repro
| duces page II of the public buildings
bill of 1913, characterized by Sena-
tor Kern as the boldest and most
| audacious raid on the public treas
| cent years. The pork in this barrel
is of such quality that it smells TO
| heaven Included in the list of ap-
| preparations on page y are federal
| buildings at Altus, Okla, $50, 500;
! Woodward, Okla, $110, 900; Shaw
nee, Okla, $125 900; Durant, Okla,
$500 Chandler, Okla. $4,000.
Speaking of the fact that in many
| instances where towns want costly
buildings constructed with govern
ment money when the pOstoftice rent
al being paid by the government is
only nominal, the article says:
There is, for example, small
town in Oklahoma known as Chick
asha Our rented postoffice there
costs the American people just 5 per
year. But congress has authorized
the erection of a building in Chick
asha for $3.50, 000t"
Evidently there has been at least
one progressive" member OF the
lower house who believed in being
progressive" in more than one way
for Mr. Hendrick publishes picture
of Representative Kent, of California
who secured for Willof, town with
a population of 1,139, a federal
building costing $4,000.
The article is too lengthy to quote
further. 1t is an interesting and en-.
Tightening contribution. If this be
undertaking there should be more
! undertaking. The people should
know of such instances as the one al
Seattle, Wash, where Congressman
| Humphrey induced the government
to pay $169.000 for an inaccessible
plot under seven feet of tide water
and of other cases, hundreds of them
where towns which are paying
around $500 annually for entirel!
adequate postoffice accommodation
are receiving huge gobs of public
money with which to erect grea
buildings they have no need for.
The trouble is, as Mr.. Hendricl
shows, that we are the only people
on earth whose government is no
conducted on the budget system, anC
that pork-loving congressman, in
stead of the postofice department
are allowed the say. The committee
on public buildings receives abou
5000 bills a session and is spendinl
about $20,0O0.0O0 annually on arch
tectural foolishness. 1t would b.
foolish at any time, and especial.
under unusual and acute condition
now existing.