The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-12-27
Omnibus Public Buildings
Bill Carries Appropria-
tons for Ham cts
LAWS REQUIREMENT
is OPENLY DODGED
Nearly S1O,OO0,0OO, Or More Than One
Fourth CT the Entire Amount Called
for, Is Needless, Unwise and Extrava-
CANT, Washington Admits


WASHINGTON, Dec. 27.-In the
trinity of "pork measures, which the
Democrats are preparing to jam
through congress this session while they
have a substantial majority, the omni-
bus public building bill is disclosed by
a review of its multitudinous appropria
tions for insignificant Southern hamlets,
to be one of the bOldest treasury raids
in years.
Of the more than 400 projects pro
vided for i'll the bill Of Representative
Frank Clark Of Florida, who has been
described as the champion pork get
ter of the House, scores and scores
are for small villages in the South
whose populations range from 1000 or
less to 5000, and whose annual postal
receipts do not reach the sum of
$4,000.
The public building bill carries with
it appropriations aggregating about
S3S,00o,o00. OF this nearly $10,000,000,
or more than one-fourth, is needless, I'M
wise and cxtravagant.
According to the admission of the
treasury department, more than % per
cent of the authorizations will probably
prove Improbable ventures for the gov
.ernment. With the public building bill
stand the flood reclamation bill, carry
ing appropriations of $4,000, 900, and
the river and harbor bill, whose appro-
priations probably will reach $4,000,
000-a grand total in appropriations of
more than $l20,0O0,000, Of which n
large part admittedly is ''pork.''
Mount Olive, y. c., has a population
of little more than 1000. Its postal re-
ccipts last year were only $5,679.2s,
about half of the amount required by
law before town shall have a buildin
for postal business alone.
But Mount Olive Iy the provisions uf
the Clark bill is to have new post
office costing 100000. The maintenance
of the new building will be about $4,000
year. whereas the annual rent for the
building III which the postotfice now is
situated is only $500.
Then there is the ease of Hazard. XIV.
which has a population of only 527. ac.
cording to the 1910 census. 1t is to get
| a so. 900 building
! Hazard had postal receipts in 1915
OF only SAT-. Tha annual rent in the
present building is only $3.50 The
maintenance Of the Low structure. il is
estimated, will be about $4,000.
Eminencc. Ky, is in the same cate
1 CORY with Hazard and Mount Olive
/ The postal receipts of Eminence las,
wear We're only S4402.53. The present
! rental for postoffice quarters there j.
! only Sl93 year. But the cost of keep
ing up the new building will be in ex
cess of 1890.
Green River, Wvo., is enc of the rar,
aorthern villages to be favolcd for ap
preparations OF this nature. 1t is to ge
a $4,000 building for postoffice use
although the postal receipts last yea
were only S4.370.lS.
Rossville, Ga. had postal receipt
last year of tS,062.4S. The maintenance
of the new postoffice will cost abou
$1,000 annually, although the renta
now is onlv $2qs
Huntington, Tenn, had postal receipt
i'll 1915 of only $4,4272S. The new post
office will cost $25, 900.
Lewisburg, w. Va, although it had
population in 1910 of only SOB. is to gc
$50 900 for a postotfice and a site. Post
: al receipts in LewiSburg in 1915 wer
SS,0l7.37. Other federal activities ar
= 10 be housed Ill this building.
Monroe, Ga, drew a $30, 900 buildin
: on the strength of its $7.361.5l posta
receipts. The rental has been $3.50
year. The cost of maintenance will h
/, about $500, just 10 times the renta
Sandersville has a population Of 2.64
It's postal receipts last year were les
than $4,000. 1t is to get new builC
ing costing 100000, which will eos
about $4,000 to maintain. Rental no
is 5000.
Waynesboro is another of the Georgi
towns to get postotlioe. Waynesboro
postal receipts last year We're 7,O22. q
Rental for the postoffiee quarters eos
only S400. The new building will COS
$4,000, and the expense of maintenance
will be about $1,000 annually.
Fifteen appropriations for sites i
other Georgia towns were classed g
unwIse.