The New York herald., 1921-06-27
Kenyon Would Permit Pres
ident to Knock Out Rid
ers' on Appropria-
tiOn Bills.
TO STOP LOGROLLING
Reform Requires Amend
ment to Constitution, but
Senator Says It's Need :
Is Imperative.
HARD FIGHT FORESEEN
Millions Now Thrown Away on
Useless Items Jammed Into
Measure to Curry Politi- 4
cal Favor. Fl
Special Despatch to THE New YoRK HEkALb.
New York Herald Bureeu.l

Special Despatch to THE New YoRK HExALb.
New York Herald Bureau.l
Washington. ID. c., June 70.
Enlargement Of tine veto power of
the President to enable him to veto
single item in an appropriation bill
without destroying the remainder of
the law will lead to tremendous saw.
ings in Government funds. according
to the statement to THE New YORK
HERALD to-day of Senator Kenyon
Iowa) He has announced that no
will propose such measure. It will
require an amendment to the Consti
tuition, which he is now preparing to
introduce.
The same idea has found favor in
the House, where it is expected that
a similar amendment will be offered
probably by Representative Madden
Gllinois). Both these officials have
stated they favor It in the interests
of governmental economy.
In explaining the situation to THE
New YORK HERALD as he sees 1t Sena
tor Kenyon said:
There are at least three we'll
recognized weaknesses that have a
strong hold on Congress- and are pro-
ductive Of enormous waste of public
funds. First. the practice Of log
rolling so called, which means
briefly that votes ere traded between
groups OF men IN Congress. each
backing some appropriation that
otherwise might not be approved.
Appropriations nave been put
through here session after session
for decades by this scheme, and the
| aggregate of money taken from the
Treasury in this way is enormous.
Second, there is the practice of add
ing riders 10 appropriation bills.
/ That means that legislative provi.
sion in many cases is put on an ap.
preparation bill and hss to be kept
there or else the appropriation bill
itself would be beaten. and therefore
the necessary funds fer running the
Government would not be available.
II is OF course variation OF the
principle Of log rolling
Useless Bills Put Through.
The third vice similar in principle
but varying infinitely IN detail. Is
found in the pork barrel bills. whose
name is legion. Public building bills.
river and harbor bills. fish hatchery
bills. omnibus bills OF all kinds with
which the public is fairly familiar are
proposed session after session and
often put through. A few Of the items
in the measures may he deserving OF
recognition. but in the majority OF
items they ought never 10 be approved
Confronted with any one OF these
devices. the Chief Executive is LEFT
with but two alternatives-either 10
veto the whole bill and therefore
cripple Governmental agencies. or. on
the other hand. approve the whole bill
and let the expenditure go on.
That. to my mind, IL an unspeakably
bad situation. The President should
have power &c veto single items and az
the same time allow the remaining De.
sirable provisions to 20 into eject.
firmly believe that In the course OF the
history OF appropriations the three things
! have mentioned have led 10 the ex-
pcnditure OF a larger sum In the aggre,
gate than this country spent for war
purposes prior TO the unheard OF appro-
nriations of the world war. These. OF
course must he excluded
Many Obstacles In WAY.
II realize that the machinery for
amending the Constitution is slow NOV
ing that II must frst be fought through
Congress and then be approved by two
thirds OF the state Legislatures But n
the people themselves. their representa-
tivcs in the States. and their representa-
tives IN Senate and House realize that
they have n weapon by which they can
beat down the cost of government and
reduce their taxes, the difficulty In the
way should not seem insurmountabie.
Heroic diseases require heroic reme-
dies. II the people are being taxed TO
death, ms II indicated by the thousands
OF complaints pouring into the national
capital II they are seeking relief which
is obvious and ~ they sec a specific way
10 obtain Il. then Il seems 20 me that
this proposal for authorizing the Presi-
dent TO veto single items In appro-
priation bills without destroying the en-
tire measure can be accomplished.
THE time to work for Il Is now, IN
advance Of coming Senatorial. Congress
sional and state elections, when officials
seeking to serve the public are moro
likely to be responsive to public senti-
ment. which. after all. is the power be-
hind the throne. "