The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-01-05
ABOUT AN APPROPRIATION
BILL CHANDLERTo SAM RANDALL
An Official Communication, With Tinct-
ure of Irony and Indirect Partizan
insinuatiOns, Concerning
Cash for the Navy.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., January A.
Secretary Chandler, in answer 10 a
letter from Mr.. Randall, chairman of
the mousse committee on appropriations,
concerning amounts necessary to
properly maintain the naval es-
Enlistment, says in part: 81 ven
ture TO express my regret that
with the Hill bills conveniently
awaiting the concurrent action, of the
TWO houses II was found impossible to
pass any one OF them before January /.
1885, and that, therefore, serious embar,
easements have arisen in administering
the naval establishment. Nav mot ask
the earnest attention of your committee
10 the Importance of speedily terminal
ing the anomalous condition Of affairs,
which makes it necessary to maintain
the naval service without the assistance
OF some of the usual appropriation
therefor? The senate having dropped
all propositions for an appropriation
for additional cruisers and for
completing the monitors, the
present question in controversy seems
10 be only this: On one side, whether an
appropriation bill for the balance of the
hscal year shall be framed after consid-
Grafton in detail of the estimates which
the law requires to be submitted to
congress for the special needs of the ser
vice for he year, and whether a specific
amount to be applicable to each object
OF appropriation shall be distinctly
named in the bill; or, on the other side,
whether, without such considera.
ton, there shall be Appropriated
in general terms so Der cent.
of the amounts granted on last year's
oil Tor the various objects specifically
named in that bill. Surely this ques-
ton is not a vital one. The first method
is undoubtedly the wisest ard safest,
conforming to the practice which has
never been and never should be de-
parted from except in an emergency.
Inc second is loose, irregular and dan
gerous, taking from the treasury mil
lions of dollars, with no Indication on the
lace OF the act of the specific use to which
any dollar is to be applied, but that is
certain which may be made certain, and
IL is better. to make appropriations nv
statutes, giving general authority to the
department to spend az much as II,
spent last year, than to place il in n no.
sltion where it is compelled to struggle
along without any appropriations. An
appropriation by vicious methods Is
better than no appropriation at ali.
Where important governmental func-
Clohs may come TO be suspended by
"'"h Va NJ uuVlull ny congress-.
Secretary Chandler gives "a tabulated
statement, showing the estimated an
preparations in the bills to be INSULT
cient, except in the case of the amounts
proposed for repairs to wooden vessels,
and concludes as follows:
The whole question of the amounts
needed TOR the work of construction and
repair, and for steam engineering in the
navy-yards depends upon the national
policy concerning the repairs of wooden
SHIPS. 1t is the duty of the department
TO apportion through the whole Y ar
whatever appropriations may be made
Tor the general service and thus would
make the work continuous, while pre-
venting deficiencies, and this course
VIII be pursued for the coming half wear.
There were last year and have been this
year no deficiencies which could well
have been foreseen or avoided,
There were, in fact, none of
any very noticeable amouut
except last year for the repairs of the
hnlks OF vessels. Such repairs can not
always be distributed equally through
out all he months of the year, because
the work can bo the most profitabIy
done during tho longer days, and fur
therlnOre, when repairs are in progress
IL Is always desirable to hasten them tn
conclusion in order that the hips NAV
be promptly usel