FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
                  HYDE PARK, DUTCHESS COUNTY
                           NEW YORK
 
                                    at Warm Springs,
Georgia,
                                               April 8,
1925.
 
Hon. John M. Hackett,
Poughkeepsie, New York.
 
Dear John:
 
        Naturally, at this distance, it has been very hard
to follow exactly what happened in regard to the Governor's
position on the Poughkeepsie Highway Bridge appropriation.
I do not even know whether he was consistent in vetoing any
other immediate appropriations of similar character, as,
for
instance, the Bill for the preliminary work on the New
York-New Jersey bridge across the river from Manhattan
Island.
 
        I agree with you wholly that our bridge is logically
and properly a part of highway development, should be part
of
the new highway map and should be built out of the current
highway funds. As an improvement which pays for itself it
is not in the same category as new buildings in state
institutions, etc. etc.
 
        The difficulty, of course, is that the Governor has
actually vetoed the Bill. I suppose what happened was that
he went through the whole pile of Bills and acted
immediately on
those on which he had already stated his definite position.
Frankly, I never heard of a Governor reconsidering a veto.
I do not even know whether it would be a constitutional act
to veto a Bill, and then, even within the statutory period,
reconsider the veto and approve the Bill by signing it. I
am, however, writing directly to the Governor for whatever
it may be worth and I hope, but doubt very much, that
something will come of it.
 
    With best wishes -
 
                                Always sincerely yours,
 
                                     Franklin D Roosevelt