The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-01-26
FIGHT PORK BILL
OPPONENTS OF PUBLIC BUILD
ING MEASURE SAY MANY PROF.
EcTs ARE NEEDLESS.
Congress Wants to Make Big Appro-
priations but Has Trouble Getting
Its Courage Screwed Up to the
Sticking Point.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-Con dares one |
day and does not dare the next. The |
majority gets it's courage screwed up |
apparently to the sticking point and |
then something comes to make it re-
cede rapidly. Congress wants to pass
the omnibus buildings bill while the
president, it is said, does not want it
to pass, and one day it makes up its
mind to pass it and the next day 1t
changes its mind.
Years ago the name pork" was Civ
en- to each of two measures which
come yearly before congress, the pub
lie buildings bill and the rivers and
harbors bill. 1t is needless, of course,
to say that many of the buildings for
whose erection provisions have been
made, and many of the rivers and har-
bors for whose Improvement money
has been voted, have been necessary
for the good of the country.
The charge, however, from both
Democrats and Republicans all over
the United States is that proper dis
elimination is not made by congress
between the good and bad propositions
contained in these measures. The
friends of such legislation always
spring to it's defense. The row has
been going on for years.
1t has been pretty well understood
this year that President Wilson does
not want his party in congress to pass
the public buildings bill as it is at pres
ent written 1t calls for $3S,000,000
for the erection of federal buildings in
different parts of the country. The
necessity of economy is urged by some
! members of both parties in house and
senate as reason for Withholding con-
| sideration from the bill as 1t has been
presented. Its proponents declare that
every item in the bill is justifable.
| The struggle is on. If the bill passes
it is said that the president stands
ready to veto it, but this, of course, is
matter for future consideration.
All Projects in Bill.
The total number of projects pro
vided for in the measure is AIT wit
authorizations amounting to $3S, 794
700. Pubic buildings and their cor
! struction are under the control of tn
treasury department, the secretary c
which in his estimates asks for al
thorizations of money for building pu
, poses. In the present public buildin
bill the names of 81 towns and vi
lagos appear of which the treasury d,
partment made no mention in it's r,
port. In other words, congress, actin
on it's own behalf, has gone far beyon
the estimates submitted by Secretar
McAdoo.
The officials of the government thi
year have said that nearly one-fourt
, of the entire building appropriate
is needless, unwise and extravagan
On the other hand, the members o
congress who desire that these build
ings shall be erected say that it Is du
TO the people of the smaller towns il
the country that Uncle Sam should b.
represented throughout the land b.
proper buildings and by adequate facil
tiles for all his purposes and that |
the building is too big the needs of tn
places will grow to meet it. The basi
of the argument really is, however
that as all the people are taxed for al
the federal buildings that the smalle
places should be given recognition ant
that Uncle Sam loses nothing by keep
ing his nephews and nieces satisfied.
Want Parks Made Accessible.
A conference has just closed il
Washington which brought together
surprisingly interesting group of me-
and women. 1t was the National Park
conference.
There are many congresses or con
ferences, call them what you will, Il
Washington every year, but perhap
| more than all the others there al
taches to the National Parks Confer
ence what may be called the highe
human interest. The object of thi
, conference is to influence public opiI
. ion in favor of national parks, and t
, | urge the necessary legislation to max
the parks accessible to the people o
the country, to maintain them i
! all their original beauty and graz
| anu " NiluGdNOH " Ald way
and means to secure an 'ecC
nomic hospitality within their limit
for Americans who are not blesse
}. with great riches. In other words, tn
effort is to make the national park
truly national Fairgrounds.
: Let us take one of the meetings {
this and enter the doors. 1t is ever
ing and on the walls Of the great ha
in the National Museum are hangin
the wonderful pictures painted b
American artists and setting forth tn
glories of color, of sky, mountain, tire
and valley of the national parks {
> America. The most famous of our Al
lists here are represented.
Gathered to look at the pictures an
to listen to the addresses from scieI
c lists, educators and nature lovers 0
the value of the parks to the people
q are men and women whose names 1r