The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-07-01


| new Republican Congress got out its
pruning knife and cut the appropria-
! Ions to S2,s2S, 1888, ,432.76.
Thus the country was saved, or
| these first bills alone, s1,6S5 1867 1893
"a from what the administration ask.
ed for and 1899, ,692, ,541.97 from what
the former Democratic House had ap-
propriated.
Similar big sums were cut from
the estimates coming up on the reg
ular appropriation bills at the second
session. 1t is hard for a government
al function to reduce its own activities
or estimates. The departments all
want 10 extend rather than reduce.
Somebody must go with the ak, and
this Congress has used the AK freely.
mated their need at S6,334 1872, ,929 40.
80
This Congress appropriated for
these items S4,S59, ,S90,32 80.
So. on the regular appropriation
bils, the Republican Congress saved
the people the magnificent sum OF
Sl,474,422, ,69216.
If this Congress had no more to its
credit than the saving of money
the cutting down of eXtravagances in
governmental affairs-it would be a
notable Congress in the country's his
tory.
But there is another story worth
telling.
The West has big interests and few
Representatives in the House. The
IL Western States have representa-
tion as follows: Colorado, 4; New
Mexico, j; Arizona, /; Utah. 2; Neva-
da, /; California,11; wyoming,1;
Idaho, 2; Montana, 2; Washington 3;
Oregon, 3; having altogether only SO
Members, The State of New York
alone has 43 Members and Pennsyl-
yaia has SO. So it can be seen that
the West does not dominate the House
But it has taken care of itself fairly
well. Fortunately. the leader OF the
majority comes from Wyoming (Mr.
MondelD, and is of large influence in
the-House, both because of large abil-
ity and long service. Wyoming has
been wise in retaining his services
in Congress over many years. Many
States have lost much by changing
Representatives frequently. No Mem
ber can cut much of figure in any
legislative body. In no such body
does long service count for so much
as in Congress.
From the stand point of pork k-bar-
rel bills for the West, there is nothing
10 brag about. This has been a pork
less Congress, thanks to those in con
troll
But some of the big measures passed
have been of special interest to the
West. | might mention among these
The railroad legislation.
The oil-leasing act
The waterpower act.
Reclamation actions.
The Railroad Legislation
When the Congress voted to return
the railroads back to private owner
ship a sigh of relief went up from
the land. That government operation
had been an expensive failure was
apparent to all. Some of the rail
road employees opposed the move
and still advocate Government own.
ership of one form or another. Some
railroad employees give credit 10 gov
ernment operation for big wages. But
even all the railroad employees do
not advocate government ownership
and many are smart enough to ap-
preciate the fact that war times and
not Government control is responsible
for present salaries.
The great majority of the people
who are not interested in railroad
opposed to the naturalization of in
dustry. The vote in Congress fairly
represented the people of the country.
believe, and many who voted against
this bill are bitter opponents OF Gov
eminent ownership and voted against
this particular bill for other reasons.
The vote in the House was: For, 249:
asaist. $50: in the Senate: For, AZ;
against, II.
The West is interested in this sub,
iect perhaps more than other sec.
tions. The West has been built up
and developed along the lines of the
railroads. These roads would prob
amly never have bee nbuilt under gov.
ernment ownership. The initiative
OF private industry has always been
more enterprising and bold in its un
dertaking than governmental func
tons. The future of the West is un
doubtedly brighter under private en-
terprise than under governmental con
troll The blighting effect of Govern
ment dictation and bureaucratic con
troll has been felt in many quarters
The railroad legislation may not be
perfect. II was the best bill tha
could be gotten through at this ses
sion. II is not permanent law ant
an be amended at the will of the
people through Congress
The legislation is too big a sub
iect to discuss here in full. but I wan
! TO quote Senator CUMMING on one
/ Of the most criticized subiects-th,
alleged guaranty.
| In recent address explaining tn.
new law. Senator Albert p. Cummin,
OF Iowa demonstrated The urgent neet
Of the Legislation and disproved som,
misrepresentation concerning It. II,
| showed that farmers and other shin
pers haYe suffered great loss. due tc
nadeodacy of railroad equipment, and