Evening star., 1926-05-01
SENATOR HARRISON
H|TSBU|LD|NCS BILL
Calls Measure Surrender of
Representation for Bureau
cratic Rule.

Declaring that the pending public
buildings bill s q surrender of repre-
sentative government in favor OF
bureaucratic government. Senator Pat
Harrison. Mississippi Democrat. de
nounced that measure on the floor OF
the Senate today.
Before beginning his attack. Senator
Harrison withdrew his motion offered
Yesterday to take up farm legislat ton
and displace the public buildings bill
as the unfinished business OF the
Senate.
II am one OF those who believe
there ought To he farm legislation at
the present session." said Senator
Harrison but Senators who have ap-
parently been much In favor "f farm
legislation said Yesterday that they
did not believe this was an opportune
time for calling 1t up. Senators also
gave assurance that the legislative
program for the present session would
include farm relief.
IF we get into a jam, however, and
Senators who have a hard fight back
home for denomination insist upon
adjournment and an adjournment is
taken without passing farm relief leg
islation. then the Senators who yes
terday opposed my motion will have
to answer to their constituents.
Quotes Senator Ienroot.
Senator Ha r1ison said that Senator
LenroOt OF Wisconsin had declared
that the pending public buildings bill
was the best and only way to re-
move congestion in many of the post
offices and that 1t would he back
ward step'to return to the pork barrel
method of appropriating for public
buildings
II believed in those old pork -harrel
bills" said Senator Harrison. Il never
got frightened because editorial writer's
called the public buildings bill or river
and harbor bill pork barrel measures.
and I am not frightened now. That
was the system conceived by the
fathers and followed by Congress, al
ways based on good rules and regula.
tions, and bringing no harm to the
taxpayers.
II believe in representative govern
ment and | am against bureaucracy in
government. believe / know what
towns and waterways in Mississippi
need public buildings and improve
mentS. Evidently a ma jority of the
House believed that Secretary Mellon
of the Treasury knew better about
this
Senator Harrison insisted that by
such legislation as the pending bill
Congress was surrenderinG. little by
little, its proper functions to the exec
utive branch of the Government. The
representative character of Govern
ment. he said. was being destroyed.
Scores Centered Power.
II am not against the public build
inES bill y said Senator Harrison. Il
believe that the amount carried in
this bill is too small, that 1925 900 900
which the supervising architect said
would be needed to build the public
buildings necessary should be author
iZed. My opposition is that ii sur
renders the representative functions
which we as Senators are called upon
to perform here.
ut delegates to one man. the Secre.
tary of the Treasury. the right to take
more than one hundred million dollars
to buy sites and to erect buildings
wherever he wishes and without any
limitations as to cost. TO sell sites al
ready bought and TO sell public build
lngs without consulting anybody. To
me this seems preposterous. Never
was such power given to any official
before. Talk about pork barrel bill.
This is a Mellon tax bill"
Swanson of Virginia. Democrat. who.
he said. has been aiding Senator
Fernald, chairman of the public build
ings committee, to get action on this
bill.
There must be large and luscious
melon to be cut" continued Senator
Harrison. He said, however. that
when Senator Swanson went to the
Treasury Department to get his slice
he would take his matters up with MIR.
Melons subordinates.
But when Senator Watson of In.
diana, that pillar of the Republican
party wants anything done he will
go to Secretary Mellon" said Senator
Harrison, land when he goes back
to Indiana. where he has a hard fight
for reelection, he will tell the people
at a place i'm Indiana which has been
seeking public building for Is years
something as follows:
..I went up to see Andy. He has
all the power, and he said TO me he
knew | had a hard fight and he told
me to tell you that he Is going to
take care of you.
Senator Watson interrupted to say
that there was no provision made for
Indiana in this pending bill.
Senator Harrison called attention
10 the various towns and cities In
Indiana which had been trying to get
new public buildings for years.
How Is the Senator going to ex-
plain to these people that he surren-
dered his right as Senator and voted
for this bill" asked Senator Harrison.
Senator Watson replied if there was
any place where an emergency
existed, he could inform Secretary
Mellon about it. lie said. too. that
it was evident that 4 o other bin but
this one could pass al this session.
Il want to do the practical thing"