Imperial Valley press., 1941-03-07

Madison square CIarQCn, tne Holly
weed Bowl or any intermediate
arena, saucer or palace of grunt
were to sign up as an attaction
the supCr-spectaclC OF watching a
bunch Of guys spend one billion
five hundred million dollars in one
hour, admission could be charged
and better crowds drawn than you
could trumpet up from the bushes
for the second coming of the Great
I Am and Aimee Semple McPher-
son.
But when they put on this act in
Congress, where the admission is
free, the show lays an egg and
nobody cares. What's lousy bill
lion and a half? Chicken feed
Maybe that's why it lays the egg,
Anyway, your Congress is now
off on a spree which aims to spend
one billion dollars week for the
next twelve weeks.
In spite OF the terrific buildup
which such an act should have
the galleries OF the House of cp-
resentatives are empty when a
shcW Of this kind goes on. Twen
ty-five people by the count.
Tho floor Of the House is less
than a fourth filled. Fifty Repub-
licans. Sixty Democrats. Those are
round numbers for the gentlemen
OF the House don't stay put long
enough to put the finger on. Com
inc ard going Talking TO each
other. OF those who Go stay put
dozen read newspapers and an
greSsional Record to see what they
ether dozen or more read the Con-
did yesterday.
ARGUE , HOURS
ON !. BILLION
Almost everything they did on
this bill was done yesterday. That
was the day of argument. This
is the day of passage.
They argued for all OF three
hours over this billion and q han
even though it covered 1876 prof.
Gets including 40 million for chart
ering ships. ether millions for naval
wards from Boston to Samoa, sub
marine bases from the Virgin Is
lands 10 Alaska naval hospitals.
10 million for tho marine corps
and SIS million for more barracks
for the army When yau think
how long It takes the average fam
jly to decide on what kind IF new
car to buy. you wonder how even
congressman can spend 1900 mil
lior, en- rnnchalantly.
1t isn't ali as simple as that, but
this is all that shows ON the sur
face. Behind the surface arc the
weeks of planning by the army
and the navy experts for what
they'll need. Then the sessions in
which the experts testify before
APPROPRIATIONS thraShing out the
the Congressional Committee on
various ITEMS ana deciding why
they're necessary. The committees
have the grief, but every commit
tees name is George. Congress lets
George do the work.
SPARKLING
EXCHANGE
Almost anE group could argue
LOT IIlrIt lIIdIl liHt 'N"io ~
tc spend a billion and half, and
produce bett1I CRACKS than the
congressman do at ono OF thcSe
shows CT theirs.
CONGRESSMAN Harold KnutSon,
publisher of the Wadcna, MIMI
Pioneer Journal, was far and aWay,
the end man for a typical pa CT
badinage when Congress passed tne
fourth deficiency bill a few Gays
ago. The patter goes IKE thlS'
KNUTSON: How much are we
going to spend this year en- pre-
paredness? no,
WOODRUFF: (He's from Roam
Oke. va. and in charge OF the piil'
have been SO busy WORKING on
these appropriation bills that /
baye not hao a chance to recapltu-
late lately.
KNUTEON: do not suppose
there is an adding machine in the
committee room that will add up
such figures.
There is no laughter at this, but
that doesn't stop the gentleman
from Minnesota, who hits back
again.
KNUTSON:I do not think any
one could imagine that sane peo-
pie could throw away money the
way we are throwing 1t away now,