Pueblo chieftain., 1921-05-08
BY FREDERIC j. HAsK1N

Washington, D. c., May 5.-A law to
prevent legislation, to reduce some
what the ever-growing stack OF
statutes under which we arc being
buried, has been introduced by Repre-
tentative Tinkham of Massachusetts.
Mr.. Tinkham's bill aims to abolish
the rider. A rider, in legislative parl-
ance, is bit of legislation tackled onto
an appropriation bill, altho it has no
real relation to it. BY this means
many laws are passed which in all
probability would never be passed
otherwise 1t enables a few men on
one committee to put thru a minor law
without debate, and to stifle protest.
by the plea that the appropriation Dill
must be passed.
Tho appropriation bills provide funds
to keep the government functioning.
If the army or navy appropriation pills
did not pass in time to authorize ch-
penditure of money when a fiscal year
began. all sorts of trouble would re-
suit Tho appropriat tion BILL therefore,
Is sure of enactment. 1t is the express
train that runs on u track to u definite
destination.
But bill which provides that sailors
should wear n different kind of hat is
purely a legislative measure and mieht
have a hard time to obtain nearing.
So tho congressman with minor Dill
of this sort goes to the tuies coHl-
mittee. There is a rule against riders
on an appropriation express, but the
Rules committee made the rules @ ana
can overrule it when convenient. Ine
congressman explains the strong points
of his bill to this committee, and very
often 1t agrees to allow the rider to tag
on the nearest appropriation measure
How Riders Ride
Generally the rider is so short that
it is scarcely noticed in the long detaii-
ing of so many clerks at *1.2OO year,
SO many battlcships at $3o,OoO,ooo
year. and so on for numerous pasts. aS,s
However, sometimes the rider Is as
covered where it has been casually
hidden. Then it is dragged forth into
the limelight and denounced by some
congressman who objects to having
things put over on the diGnified ana
responsible lawmaklng booy oi 'hc
United States.
III this measure were worthy OF at
tention it would be brought to our
notice thru the customary channes,
and not thrust upon us in TINS insi1lous
manncr," shouts the irate lawmakcr.
But another rises to remind him that
the time is short and the appropr1a-
tion bill must be rushed. And the de-
fender of congressional dignity sub
sides.
Mr.. Tinkham has careluly coneSpSu
data showing that In the Sixty-iourtn
| and Sixty-fifth congresses and the
| first session of tho Sixty-sixth there
were sevcnty-seyen riders put on ap-
preparation bills. The list includes
such .incongruities as an anti-Ioocy
provision GRATED on the deficiency ap-
propriation bill; an alien enemy prop
erty measure on another deficiency
| bill: n cotton futures act and wartime
prohibition on agricultural approprA- l.
| tion bills. Some OF these items arc
vaguely related in subject matter to
the appropriation bill. Some make no
pretensc of any connection. Either
way, none of them have anything TO DO
with finance.
Even when a rider Is comparatively
harmless. it oftcnsdclays the appropria-
tion with which it is connected, DO
cause some legislators have been
known to protest firmly against the In
trudinC paragraph. Then, too. II tho
president finds the rider obnoxious ana
yctocs the measure. tho Who'll" pl'i
must go back and he passed over his
veto. or else IL must be re-drafted
without the Objectionable features. All
this means a waste of valuable time.
especially II 1t occurs at the close OF
| session.
The rider has always been moro or
| less of n Joke Now II threatens Y"
| become "A very practical and far-rcach-
| ing iokc. The Republicans have not
| vet put thru the budget bill. but they
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