Evening star., 1923-01-21
SEEKS TO TIE Up
PRESIDENTS FUNDS
Harrison's Proposal to Stop
$4,000 Causes Uproar
in Senate.

A row. which ragged for more than
an hour, was started in the Senate
yesterday by an attempt by Senator
Harrison, democrat Mississippi, to tie
up the usual $25,0O0 presidential
travelling and entertainment expense
fund until President Harding re-
spends to the resolution passed last
April asking for the reasons for all
appointments by executive order
since the beginning of the Harding
administration.
The proposal drew most of the
republican leaders into the debate in
defense of the President but it
finally was withdrawn after Chair
man Warren of the appropriations
committee. had moved to lay it on
the table.
In an extended speech Senator Har-
rison criticized the President for
waving the civil service rules in
making appointments under executive
order, mentioning specifically the ap-
pointment of French Crow to be post
master at Marion, Ohio, the Presi-
dents home town, and cited long
list of instances of what he said had
been executive encroachments upon
congressional authority.
Right TO Waive Regulations.
Senator Sterling. republican, South
Dakota, chairman of the civil service
committee, declared the. President
had the right to waive civil service
regulations at will in the appoint
ment OF second, third and fourth
class postmastcrs: as the application
of the civil service to those post
masters was 10y executive order.
Senator Harrison replied that the
present administration was only
"prctcndinG to, hold civil service
examinations for such postmaster,
and added that the President had
not responded to the resolutions be-
cause he thinks the Senate too little
and too puwcrleSss to be obeyed."
: This led Senator Lodge of MaSSa-
chusetts. the republican leader, to
say that President Wilson had not
responded to some sixty resolutions
passed by the Senate regarding Mex
iCan relations,. but Senator Harrison
said that was in the field of inter
national relations. where the Presi-
dent might use discretion.
Objects 10 Language.
Senator Warren said the language
Of the Harrison resolution. intro
duced as an amendment to an ap-
propriation bill. was objectionable.
resembling the language which
might be used in addressing some
minor government employee
Senator Harriso3 said he realized
that the President had been very
busy since the resolution was passed
because his unofficial observers over
I'm France have been telling him one
thing and his. official advisers here
have been trying to discredit what
the unofficial observers. said, while
his ambassador to Great Britain has
caused him great anxiety over there"
and great concern during his recent
nepe2SltV
of keeping amuzzle ., on him and
guarding against an explosion
He added that the President also had
been engaged in settling controversies
between his cabinet members "squab
bling over control of various bureaus"
and in keeping his thoughts on inter-
national problems so that no one in
the country can. tell what he is going
to do tomorrow"
Speeches, against presidential en-
croachment on congressional authority
ate, were cited by Senator Harrison.
executive domination since assumption
of the presidency.