New-York tribune., 1920-06-11
Wilson Gets
IAdded Time
| To Sign Bills
Hlmer Rules Pocket Veto
/ Is Not Effective Until
( 10 Days After Acts Are
Sent to. Him for Action
Mects Eleven Measures
War Legislation Repeal
and Water Power Bill
I Can Yet Be Approved

From Tho Tffbnue's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, June 10.-Attorney
GENERAL A. Mitchell Palmer has in
formed President Wilson that measures
pissed by Congress and sent to the
White House just before adjournment
Vii become effective if signed by the
President within ten days after the
fHal session.
gin an informal ruling made public
.o.doy the Attorney General held that
bAls not signed when Congress ad-
jolrned sine die last Saturday were
n6t necessarily killed by what has
been known as the pocket veto"
The Constitution of the United
States provides that of any bill shall,
MT be returned by the President
within ten days after it shall have
been presented to him the same shall
b6 law in like manner as if he had
signed it, unless the Congress by
t4eir adjournment prevent its return,
in which case it shall not be law
& Ruling Upsets Procedure
1For the past hundred years this
pruvision has been taken to mean that
bins unsigned when Congress adjourned
were dead. The Attorney Generals
raling upsets time honored procedure
AID gives the President week more
to- act on several of the measures
handed to him in the closing hours of
the session.
Eleven measures remained unsigned
last week, when Congress adjourned.
Ihe President explained that they had
been sent to him so late in the ses-
sYn that he had not had time to. con-
sider them.
1The ruling made by Mr.. Palmer
bhngs back to life all eleven of the
n1easures which were considered as
killed by the pocket veto" The At
tofney General held that the President
hgd ten days to consider each meas
une, dating from the time it was pre-
sented to him.
Under the ruling, the President has
until midnight tomorrow to- sign the
water power bill, which provides for
aBystem of leases for power sites. and
hs has until June II to sign the reso-
luton repeating the bulk of the war
emergency laws, and the Underwood
resolution, providing for the appoint
nient of committee to confer with
the Canadian government in regard
to- restrictions on pulp wood coming
1i0o tue ONlteQ states.
sAnother resolution which the Presi-
dent still has several days to consider
lss that authorizing the detailing of
United States naval officers as instruc-
tors in the navies of South American
republics.
Water Bill Led to Ruling
At was understood to-day that the
agitation over the Presidents failure
to- sign the water power bill was re-
sponsible for the ruling by the Attor.
ny General. Many of the supporters
of the measure had made strenuous
efforts in the closing days of the ses.
SION to get the measure through Con.
gress and were unwilling to let it die
irr the Presidents hands if there was
any means of getting around the
pocket veto" custom At the White
House the belief was expressed that
Mt. Wilson would take advantage OF
the new opportunity given him to act
on the water power measure and per.
haps on other bills before him.
The fact that the bill to repeal war.
time legislation was supported b,
Democrats as we'll as by Republicans
inCongress, brought the suggestion to-
day that the President might wish tt
sign the bill in order to forestall {
possible Republican charge that he il
a s''dictator" who desires to retain il
peace time the extraordinary powers
grRnted the chief executive in time O
war
Mr. Palmer did not explain the logi
by which he reached his conclusion il
that within a few days the Attorne,
General would issue a formal state
ment, outing his Interpretation of tn
law