Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-05-28
|GARNER ANSWERS /.
HOOVER CRITICISM
Speaker Denies Relief Bill Is
"Pork Barrel" as Charged
by President.
Continued From FIRST Page

/
Hoover flung at Gamers list of 500
post cffice, read and waterway building
projects, carried in his 49, 100000 900 re.
lief bill
The President spoke out thus before
large group of newspaper men late
Yesterday. His lips were drawn to A
hard, straight line and his face was
pale with intensity of feeling as he
heaped up condemnation on the plan.
as one wrecking balanced budget hopes
ana threatening the stability of the
Government.
lie told how many Of these building
plans had been discredited by Congress
user because of useless extravaganza"
lnvoiVed and said many others had been
authorized only for a distant future
when natural growth of COMMENTARIES
would Justify them Not 20 per cent
ne said could be brought to the stage
OF employment for a year, and onlv
loo zoo men could then be put to work.
IL Is apparently expected" he said.
mat the cupidity of these towns and
sections will demand that their Repre-
senatlves and Senators vote for this bin
or threaten to penalize them if they
Iall 10 Join in this squandering of
money
Il just do not believe that such lack
OF intelligence or cupidity exists among
the people OF our United States. If
that snail prove true. then this is not
the United States that had the intell-
gence 10 frame the Constitution of this
Republic, which fought the War of the
Revolution, or the Civil War. or the
World War, that it might be forged
into the greatest Nation of the world
Reed Denounces Garner.
Speaker Garner received word of Mr..
Hoover's attack with equanimity, and
neither he nor his Democratic associ-
ates showed any intention of deviating
a particle from the program planned
for the bll-three days of committee
hearings next week, and House passage
right after. Garner said he was prom
ised strong Republican support also.
Senator Reed, Republican, of Penn
sylvania. followed the President in de-
nouncing Garner. charging him with
willingness to destroy the Governments
credit lin endeavoring to promote his
personal prospects"
Revised Figures.
Majority Leader Rainey today made
public formal printed statement
showing the revised Garner relief pro-
gram would total s2,30s. o84,337. in
GLIDING public works construction to
cost S1,209, 084, 337.
Besides the 100000 900 for direct
relief to be administered by President
Hoover, the program provides S730,99l,-
1853 in newly authorized projects and
S478, 092 1853 for reauthorized projects.
A total of S421,589 ,869 is carried for
rivers and harbors projects. including
S116,500,000 for the deepening of the
Mississippi River channel from the
mouth of the Ohio to Minneapolis and
$50, 7e0. 900 for the improvement of the
Tennessee River.
In addition, a total of $3.50, 692, 468 Is
carried for flood control on projects
heretofore authorized
A total of 1927 400 900 is provided for
Federal highway aid. including. s16,-
100000 for forest roads and trails
For public buildings, mostly post Of
fees and court houses, 1878, 402, 900 is
authorized.
The President said:
The urgent question today is the
prompt balancing of the budget. When
that is accomplished I propose to sup
port adequate measures for relief Of
| distress and unemployment In the
meantime it is essential that there
should be an understanding of the
character of the draft bill made pub
lie yesterday in the House of Repre-
Sentatives for this purpose. That draft
bill supports some proposals We have
already made in aid to unemployment
through the use of the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation to make loans for
projects which have been in allegiance,
and which proposal makes no drain on
the taxpayer But in addition it pro-
poses to expend about 5000 900 for
Federal public works.
Believes in People.
Il believe the American people will
grasp the economic fact that such action
would require appropriations to be made
to the Federal departments. thus
creating a deficit in the budget that
could only be met with more taxes and
more Federal bond issues. That makes
balancing of the budget hopeless. The
country also understands that an I'M
balanced budget means a loss of conf
dence of our own people and of other
nations in the credit and stability of
the Government, and that the conse-
| quences are national Generalization and
the loss Of 10 times as many jobs as
would be created by this program. even
II 1t could be physically put into action.
An examination of only one group
| OF these propoSals-that is, proposed
authorizations for new post Offices
| shows list of about 1900 such build
| 1ngS, at total cost OF about $3.50 ,000,-
600. The Post Office Department in
forms me that the interest and up
keep of these buildings would amount
| to S14,000,00 per annum, whereas the
! llnkPpn nf ht1i1 in
ent at use amounts to less than So
100000. Many of the other groups in
! this bill will no more stand the light
OF Gay than this example.
"A total of over $500 projects OF
various kinds are proposed in this bill
scattered into every quarter of the
| United States. Many of these project;
have heretofore been discredited by
Congress because of useless extrava-
gance involved. Many were originally
authorized as justified only in the long
distant future. I do not believe that
20 per cent could be brought to the
stage of employment for year. I am
advised by the engineers that the
amount of labor required to complete q
| group of S400.000000 of these work.
would amount to only 100 900 men fol
one year, because they are in large
degree mechanical jobs.
Gigantic Pork Barrel"
This is not unemployment relief
1t is the most gigantic pork barrel evel
proposed to the American Congress Il
is an unexampled raid on the public
Treasury.
| Detailed lists of all these project.
have been broadcast to every part o.
the country during the past "a hours
/
tons, who would receive a portion
of this pork barrel 1t is apparentl.
expected that the cupidity of thesl
towns and sections will demand tina
their Congressman and Senators vot,
for this bill, or threaten to penaliz,
them if they fail to join in tht
squandering of money.
Il just do not believe that such lacl
Of intelligence or cupidity exists amonl
the people of our United States. 1
that shall prove true, then this is no