The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1917-02-02
Pork 5arreI in the Way
Congressman Johnson Will Vote
Against Appropriations.

aDeIQeeu Congressman NOya y.
Johnson announces his intention
and states his reasons for voting
against the bill to appropriate S6O,-
600 tor an addition to the Aberdeen
postotfice.
MIR. Johnson says that although
he realizes the necessity of an ad-
dition to the postoffice to take care
OF the increasing business he is
forced to vote against the measure
because it is part of the S35, ,OOO-
600 omnibus building OF pork
barrel bill. The letter follows:
"Dear Sir: acknowledge re-
ceipt OF your inquiry concerning
the present status OF the bill in
troduced TO construct an addition
to the postoffice and government
building i'll Aberdeen, and replying
thereto will say that because OF the
introduction OF such bill there has
been included in the omnibus public
building bill now before the house
an item OF 500 900 for the addition.
The vastly increased postal
business in Abe. deem together with
the increase in the internal revenue
force has made such an addition q
necessity.
AS matter of expediency l
should like to support the measure
as it stands, but cannot do SO. 1t
appropriates about S35 200, 900 for
public buildings in the United States
and much of the money will not
be expended
There will be an admitted de-
ficit in the federal treasury at the
close OF this year of S3O,OOO,OOO
necessitating bond issue or the
invention of more new aud novel
methods of taxing the American
people. The river and the harbor
bill carries S47 100000 with the
new projects authorized amounts
to $76,OOO,OOO, and cannot sup
port this class OF measures with
the federal treasury admittedly
bankrupt.
Again, the bill! is manifestly
sec,ional and unfair, taxing the
citizens of South Dakota aud the
north to build buildings in the
southern villages that hardly war
rant a dot Oil the map.
/, For instance, South Dakota,
which cast l25, ,442 votes in the re-
cent presidential election, has three
congressmen and five votes in the
electoral college. Mississippi,
, which cast sl,65o votes has eight
congressman and ten electoral
votes.
Under the present administra-
ton South Dakota has contributed
1902 .O44 il. internal revenue to the
support of the government, and
received SS0,S4b i'm federal APP
preparations.
Mississippi has paid SONG, 724
internal revenue and received 3d.
542, S55 i'll government appropria-
tions. With two-thirds the votes,
but nearly three times the rcpresen-
tat:on. Mississippi has obtained
thirty times as much in govern-
ment expenditures as South Dako.
ia, while paving approximately
two thirds as much taxes.
! (Statictics complied by Arthur
Sears Henniilg }
In this bill which some citizens
of Aberdeen will criticize me for
voting against Mississippi has
seven buildings at sl52, 500 while
sonth Dakota has three at sl01 900
! Comparing l'loraa and Mime
sofa, ii appears that i'll 1915 Flori-
da paid in Income tax 1928, 500,
/ Minnesota paid 81 o35.523.
/ In this bill, Florida has seven
| buildings, five in towns OF less than
1000 population, one in a town of
2.157 people and one of 5,O32. III
the past two bills Florida has Sc
cured lS buildings, Minnesota la
lbuildings.