Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-02
THE ROMANCE OF
THE PORK BARREL
Gentle Art of Raising the Wind
Praised by More or Less Success
full Practictioners-The Pas
time of Patriotism

ONCE upon a time you regarded a Con-
" gressman, every Congressman as the
personlication of goodness and wisdom. 1t
might have been in your salad days. No,
won't say that-the phrase has other con-
notations But it when you were young
and trustful. You believed that away off in
Washington there existed a wonderful,
always right, irreproachable, altogether ad-
mirable, perfectly perfect Government"
You pictured "the Government" in some such
vague way many people think of the
Ruler of the Universe, Disillusionment came,
but you were too busy with other things to
care. You talked and knocked, perhaps, but
that's all the good it did. You figured it out
that congressman are no better and no wiser
than their constituents, and thus came pretty
close to the TRUTH for a Congressman rep
resents his district ethcaly and morally
we'll as potically-but you let 1t go at that.
People talk of the scandal of the Federal
appropriation bills and of log rolling, but
after all it's only a species of romance. Awe
is nightly mixed with romance. We speak
awfully of our Imperial Valleys, our miracles
of science, martyrs of science, our cap
tains Of industry, our seers of social justice;
of Galileo and Booker Il. Washington, of
Socrates and the sweet girl graduate. It's
beautiful and, blessed thing to die for ones
country, a fine and splendid thing to start
out from the little red schoolhouse and carve
ones way up the steep and dizzy cliffs of sue
cess, a gratifying and honorable thing to be
elected to Congress- But a Congressman's
career is not ended with election to Congress-
After getting on well he must still keep
going-if not for himself, then for others
Success is crowned with altrusm-for con-
sttuents What modern miracle surpasses
the sudden blossoming of a 100000 public
building in the midst of sagebrush and
cactus? More romantic and awe-inspiring
than the return Of Ulysses or the homecom-
ing of the Prodigal Son is the spectacle of "a
Congressman bringing home the pork.
When the Band Plays ''Pork"
How does 1t happen? When and why?
What are the results?
Preparedness: Four separate committees
appropriating for military expenditures. Mo-
bile army of the United States scattered
among 40 or 80 posts. Why posts are con-
sidered an asset to a community purchase
of supplies. interesting drills attractive
parks. band concerts. Navy yards present
the same needless multiplicity. There is not
a navy yard where a whole squadron or fleet
could be properly accommodated under condi-
tions that might arise.
Sandy Bay, Massac chusetts: Five million
dollars called for by plans for Improvement of
refuge harbor S15OO,OOO spent up to 1913
Engineers could use 100000 a year, At pres
ent rate of annual appropriation, work will
be completed about 1860.
Texarkana, Texas: Monumental court
house built five years ago at cost of $4,000.
Postofflce has separate building. Courthouse
open for business three or four days every
year. Unused during the $50 other days.
kTayxy fOrred In bO1d
sessions in Wooworth Building, Compare
Texarkana.
Park City Utah; Growing so fast that in
the next ten years four postoffces employees
viii be required Government is putting up
s23 900 building for them. While Chicago
suffering from malt congestion, can't get
money enough to buy a site for much
needed building
Scores of expensive postofffce buildings are
erected in towns having postal receipts of
less than $4,000 year. Towns of $50 to $500
inhabitants got buildings costing from $4,000
to close on 100000. Court In some instances
is held in these buildings two or three days
year. Sometimes a public building is
totally unused except for a few days an
nually,
Seattle wanted a new postoffee, Through
the instrumentality of Representative Hum
phrey, of Washington. 100000 was appro-
priated for this purpose, Then a site was
acquired at a cost of $l75OOO. Then the Post
office Department learned that the site was
seven feet under water. So the Government
has the site but Seattle won't get the post
office. Mr. Hendrick then points out the ar
guments used by the politicians.
There are two factions down in this dis
trict," says the Senator. zone side has the
postmaster I want the other to have this
site 1t will make better feeling in my dis
trict"
The foregoing are only examples. speei-
mems. instanees-of which there are hun
dreds
Appropriations Nine appropFlatlne epm-