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Show j EXPLORING PORK BARREL Congressman Krear Discloses Sectionalism Sec-tionalism In Appropriations. . v Washington, Jan. 7. Representative Representa-tive Frear of Wisconsin, has been exploring ex-ploring the pork barrel again; and he has brought up some Interesting things from its depths. ; The public buildings bill, whose friends nre trying to get action be- fore the fourth of March, carries $35,000,000. In theory, the measure is uniform that 1b, the framers of It are supposed to try to give every state and every member of either House of Congress a fair show In whateevr distribution of government funds takes place under this bill. Mr. Frear, however, finds that the theory and Its application are somewhat some-what different. For Instance, he discovers dis-covers that North Carolina has about one-third the number of congressional congression-al districts that Illinois has and that it contributes about seven per cent as much to tho Federal treasury treas-ury in direct taxation. North Carolina Caro-lina does have, however, the Democratic Demo-cratic leader on tho floor of Congress and sho also is slated to receive sixteen public buildings ns against tho thirteen allotted to Illinois. Only ono of tho sixteen North Carolina Caro-lina buildings Ih proposed for a town which has moro than four thousand population. Six of them arc located In towns of less than two tfiousand. In 1915, Mr. Frear adds, North Carolina paid $381,078 Into tho federal fed-eral treasury; Illinois paid $5,654,- 1 151. It Is not likely that Mr. Frear's exposo will chock tho ardor of Floor .Leader Kltchln and other Democrats Demo-crats for tho bill. Nor has Secretary Secre-tary McAdoo's opposition had great effect in dampening Democratic enthusiasm en-thusiasm for tho measure. It is a cardinal belief of this Congress that a function of government Is to spend money. How to get tho money to spend is a matter upon which the s average Democratic Representative . wastes little of his gray matter. ' , There nre always new taxes to be , Invented, new methods for "soak- i lng the rich," as Uncle Joe Cannon ; puts It, more ways of shrugging oft upon the thrifty north the taxes -, which the Indolent south likes to j disburse. And the country seems to stand for It. The record of the last two Democratic Congresses has been pro- ' fllgate and wasteful beyond anything , In American history. Yet the next j Congress Is not overwhelmingly Republican, Re-publican, as It should be; and It will tako the pinch of hard times to-awake to-awake the voters to tho manner In which their money has been flung right and left for tho benefit or Democratic tax-eaters and for the ' benefit of Democratic Congressmen. |