The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-18
Telephone Telephone rIain 4eoo seSSssssssss<z1% SsssSsz Main 49oo
PRESIDENT AND WATERWAYS

The report in Washington is that
 President Harding intends to resort to
 the same means to head off the rivers
 and harbors scheme engrafted upon the
 army bill. Disregarding the official
 budget, congress added some S30,000,- 900 to the amount which the adminls-
 tration thought sufficient for the com
 ing year. To return the bill to congress
 with his veto might lead to compica- tions and possibly to an extra session,
 which MT. Harding desires to avoid
 Apparently, he may find a way around
 the difficulty by issuing an executive
 order to the war department not to
 spend within the next fiscal year more
 than the budget allotment of $27,000,-
 900 for rivers and harbors.
 Such a direction by the president
 might be defended as a due exercise of
 the discretion vested in the chief execu-
 tive. It certainly might be defended as
 part of his prerogative as commander
 in-chief of the army. Of course, baf-
 fled congressman would fly into rage
 about usurpation and tyranny, but what
 could they do? If President Harding
 is we'll persuaded both of his right and
 duty in the premises, he will be able by
 following the course indicated to drive
 home the lesson of the executive bud
 get in striking and effective way. Nat
 urally, he would expose himself to the
 danger of meeting congressman robbed
 Ot tnelf aDDrODTldJlOIS, WHICH UHiSHI
 be greater than meeting a lion robbed
 of her whelps; but MT. Harding is used
 to that sort of thing by. this time, and
 would be so assured of intelligent pop
 ular support that he could be confident
 of surviving the encounter unscathed
 New York Times.
 All persons who have knowledge of the high ideals and sincere purpose of the con ductors of the New York Times newspaper will acquit them of publishing the above with a mental reservation; yet the article is very suggestive of a way for the president to defeat the appropriation for maintaining the ,country's waterways.
 The Times, in all probability, is doing no more than arguing a case for support of what it would like to see done by President Harding. We cannot think, however, that the New York paper even hopes that 1t will be done. Its argument is quite weak where it says that the president Is likely to face with equanimity the indignanr protest of Republican members of congress who have voted the appropriation for the waterways; for MT. Harding's course is proof that he does not invite disagreement nor seek quar- rels, particularly with members of his own 
 ment with the Republican congress, and he has kept to that policy with remarkable fidelity up to now, vetoing but one important bill, and that the bill he declared in ad- vance of it's enactment he would not accept unless it conformed to his views in an es- sential particular. Mir. Harding is perhaps the last man in the Times acquaintance who would engage in dispute with members of his party as to an action which has been taken after careful consideration of the needs of the country. The president is de- sirous of upbuilding his budget policy, but he is more desirous of bringing his adminis- tration through with a showing of success in the accomplishment of the administra- tions program. He is not likely to throw away so brilliant prospect in order to SUD- port through thick and thin one feature, and only one, of the many his administration stands for.
 Another point is that the president is quite as impressionable as congress has proved itself to be in this particular case. Congress wanted to keep to the budget strictly, but was persuaded by invincible reasoning that there would be no saving of money If the waterways were neglected, but, on the contrary, loss; and the presi- dent has put himself on record, saying, in his message of December last: Manifest ly, we have need to begin on plans to CO., ordinate all transportation facilities. l. :. We ought to reap some benefit from the hundreds of millions expended on inland waterways, proving our capacity to utilize as we'll as to extend"
 The appropriation made by congress has direct bearing upon the subject. It Is to maintain the waterways, as recommended by the United States engineers, so that they may serve the needs of the people.
 HOUSE EVADES ITS DUTY
 Chairman Campbell of the house rules committee has a very peculiar idea of his