The New York herald., 1876-07-11
Inconsistencies, Mistakes and Crudiies Of
the Appropriation Bill
ADEFEAT OF THE SOFT MONEY MEN
Republican and Democratic Criticism Of
Governor Hayes Letter.
DISCOVERY OF FRAUDULENT ALABAMA CLAIMS
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

WASHINGTON, July 10, 1916
CONDITION OF THE APPROPRIATION BILLS
INTERESTING SCENES IN THE HoUsE-ILL-AD-
vIsED xcoNoMY-THE OUTRAGE OF THE
BOUNTY BILL.
Tho fight over the Appropriation bills grows hotter
with the extremely hot weather and there high
words in the House to-day the Consular and DIP
lonaic bill The crudes and aosurdilies in which
Mr. Singleton found 1t difficult to defend ,h.s bill is
Of the least dcensibe Of all that the House
has produced Its faults vigorously
exposed, some months ago, by Mr.. Hewitt, himself a
democrat, but man familiar with commerce aud for
sign relations. His objections have been
Bwered, and Mr. Randall adhercs the bill, which
eminently deserves TO iaiI; and with whose provisions
all democrats who familiar with the subject
dissatisfied There would DO sound sense
In calling home all minister's setting apart
fund of two or three hundred thou
sand dollars, for special ENJOYS to be used
on particular emergencies and increasing the salaries
OF consus general and the most important consuls.
That would economzs wisely and If Mr.. Randall had
brought In such bl 1t would have had republican
support in both houses. The present bill only dimin-
shes salaries, not too high, abolishcs some
important consulatcs.
The River and Harbor bill Of the House is full Of sm
lar crudes 1t seems to have been constructed upon
Pfihclpe Oh giving large sce OF 10 eacn
member OF the committee, peddng out from five
to $25, coo TO u number OF petty and unmpor,ant i'm
provcnen's, which have no real relation the COM
merce of the country and cutting down runous de-
gree most OF tho really important works already begun
and whose carly completion Is of importance to the
country commerce Thus Rock Castle creek In Ken
lucky improved to the amount OF $4,000; the
French road running TO Bunkum County,
In North Carolina gets s25, 900; the New
Rver,in Virginia, $25 OoO Similar appropriations
we're made for works on the Ettowah, the Zig
Sands, the Cnch, the Tombgbee Mr. Hereford of
West Virginia, toek very good OF his stath,
giving three hundren thousand dollars TO tho great
Kanawha, twenty-five thousand to tho Elk, twenty.
fve thousand TO the Monongahela, and other 10
minor streams, and capturing in all about iour hun
drcd thousand dollars, out of total appropriation Of
less than six millions, for the streams of his single
state Meantime he and his committee gave but
hundren thousand dollars to hell gate for the
works at which point General Newton reports that
s350,000 is the lowest which ought to be appro-
priatcd The Hudson River gets but SIS OOO just as
much the Elk the French Broad, though General
Newton reported his lowest useful estimate at s66 O00
The engineers in charge OF public works
quircd by tho House early In the to
wise their estimates very carefully and cut
the whole sum asked Tor down by twohirds.
They did this and in most cases wisely distinguished
between work of real importance already begun and
which needed to be completed 10 facilitate commerce
md tho numerous petty improvements either only
planned or OF no real importance If begun, and which,
IS economy was demanded could safely be laid TO
better times But the House committee appear have
paid attention TO these suggestons-for Instance
The engineer in charge OF the Cumberland River im-
provemcnt said If you must reduce give me $50, 900
lor the work below Nashville and let the go over
Tor year the work is and wait, but tho
House bill appropriaes ABOUT 500 900 for the work
lhovc Nashville ana nothing for that which is already
begun and most necessary below that city. Again. tho
committee gave but $40 600 Norfolk harbor but to
aumbcr Of unimporant internal petty streams in vir-
gna So 900 apiece The Senate proposes 10 amend
vcry scnsibly by giving $4,000 to Norfolk which
one of the most important harbors tho coast; in-
ereasing the appropriation Tor the James River and
striking out the gwen to the various petty
streams Again, about s3Oo, 900 was given for tho
continuance OF experimental petty works at Galveston
which have been gong under similar appropris-
tions for several years but the House committee
adds nearly much more for beginning similar works
at other and unimportant points tho Texas coast
though the of the method pursued not yet
established.
Such crude and ilconsidcred measures ought not TO
be labelled reform, and 1t is not fair to blame tho
Senate which has had long and practical experience
these whaf rashly
proposed and for objectins to many details There
laugh here the other way when it discovered
that members of the Appropriations Committee in
the House had divided among the districts they repre-
nearly the whole OF appropriation for public
buildings. But the River and Harbor bill Is not much
differently constituted An of the Sundry
Civil bl in which very large apparent economy
made by the House, shows that number OF usual and
necessary appropriations were entirely omitted Thus,
for The OF the public property, navy yards and
other matters belonging to the navy, valued ut
$50. 600 600. nothing was given Usually from
81 600 900 ST. 500 600 required for this and GER
iainiy something is needed. There arc other similar
cases. and the result, If the House bill passed.
would only be large Deficiency bill at the next session
and no economy at all
After this grea, cry of economy and boast of saving
between $50 600 900 and $40, 600 ooo n House com.
mittce actually brings in, and the democratic House
passes, Bounty bill, which, the lowest
calculation, would swallow up all the savings of the
ession and fling them INTO the lap OF claim agents II
not intended by what has peen said to charge that
democrats like Mr.. Randall did not sincerely mean to
conomizc aud rctrench, but that they have worked
rudciy, without proper considerations, in many ways
the injury Of the public service, and It Is un-
loubtcd TACT that II the House bills as they
sere passed, including the Bounty bill, were to-day
avs, the democrats. far from having ecoaomized or
strencbed the expenditures, would be found to have
provided great expenditure last years, Tor
lcss worthy proper purpos y 1t is literally true
that whether this long session shall really yield any
economy savings in expenditures depends to-day
the question whether the republicans in the Senate
havo tho courage TO reject the Bounty
bill which the House has passed That
Ii TO say, not the democrats
who will. when the closes deserve praise Tor
economy bp their opponents That is the present sit
and the uet result ef session in which the III
organized democrats have hastily framed and forced
through a multitude OF crude measures looking like
rcouomy, but too often senshly planned in commit
tees and have after all spoiled these astcpts
ecopopov bv introducinr and passng a bounty bill