River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-08-09
Washington Letter
(By James A. Frear, NJ. CD

enacted by this Congress including a
"bone dry" law for the District of
Columbia, laws preventing ship
ments Of liquor into dry territory,
and the food control bill which pre-
vents the further manufacture Of
distilled liquors. Last week pro-
posed amendment to the Constltu-
ton prohibiting the manufacture
and sale of all liquors passed the
Senate by vote of So to 20, or over
three to one, much to the, surprise
of the country at large and to many
Senators themselves. The House
Judiciary Committee having charge
Of this measure decided that as the
ONLY remaining legislation on the
regular war program related to the
revenue bill, the proposed amend
ment would be postponed and placed
before the House at the regular
December session. Since the begin
ming Of the European war, drastic
laws and regulations in other coun-
tries have been enacted, and dry"
sentiment has rapidly gained in Con
gress SO that it is now generally pre-
dicted the prohibition amendment
submitting the question to the
states, will pass both houses during
the early part of next session. TWen-
ty.six states have enacted dry laws
and while it requires three-fourths Of
all the states to pass the amendment
in order to secure national prohibl-
ton; concessions are now made
among it's opponents that the amend
ment will probably be ratified by the
required number of states within
from four to six years.
Notwithstanding strong con-
demnatory speeches in the Senate
against the River and Harbor bill
by Senators Kenyon, Smoot, Sher-
man, Borah and others, the bill for
nearly S27.O0O,000 was passed by
that body but so amended as to pro-
vide for an investigation by Com
mission to be appointed by the
president. This Commission is not
very strong in character, but it may
be a step toward abolishing annual
pork barrel appropriations. If a
thorough house cleaning is attempt
ed by this board it will protect tax
PAYERS from an annual extravaganza
and improve legislative standards in
Congress. Apart from enormous
savings through defeat or reduction
Of bills during the past four years,
it is significant that the last bill was
only one half as large as the 1914 bill
Of over S53. 900, 900, which thewriter
exposed in the House, and which was
consequently defeated by Senator
Burton and others in the Senate. 4
vigorous fight in both House and
Senate was made this year and many
vicious items We're kept out Of the
bill, but appropriations for New
York harbor and other deserving
projects pulled enough votes to car
ry it through, particularly as the
last biII had failed ia the Senate.
On this general subject it may be
Of interest to know that an instruc-
tor from Yale College who has been
making an investigation during sew
eraI weeks for Al extended report to
be published on pork barrel legis-
lation, after studying the mass Of
material gathered on these bills,
which fills an entire bookcase in the
writer's Office, declared he never be
fore understood how much data had
been accumulated on this one sub
iect. The work requires study be-
cause of its qualifications and Of the
hundreds of projects covered by
bills, affecting rivers and harbors,
public buildings, and local grabs like
the SZO, OU0, OU0 muscle 0noalS FER
tilizing factory at government eX-
pense. Worthy purposes have been
used to cover up much extravaganza
and legislation is sure to be placed
upon better basis in the near fu-
ture. Hundreds of commencing
editorials, particularly from eastern
papers and magazines, have been re
ceived, showing that the thorough
ness of the work accomplished is
generally understood and appreci-
ated.
A pamphlet called the Red,
White and Blue Book" has been is