Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-07

interested IN the statement HE STAR sgrpdY.
10 IFS circulation This is point of great i'm.
portsnce to advertisers.
A TALK WITH MIR. SAVERS.
His Suggestions for Practical Reform In the
Expenditures of the Government.
A COMMITTEE OF FIFTEEN MEMBERS SHOULD BE
APPOINTED, WHICH SHOULD INVESTIGATE ALI
THE DIFFEKEST DEPAkTMESrs-rwo NEW
CHAIRMASsHIPs SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED.
As large "a the aggregate Of appropriations
by this Congress appear to be by the statement
prepared by Mr. Savers Of Texas-more than
billion six million dollars-this statement does
not include ali the indefinite appropriations
and by no means all that is incurred as a LA
bility upon other Congresses.
This does not occur because the appropria-
lions committee of the House during this Con-
gress was wantonly ertravagant, for as a matter
of fact Mr.. Cannon struggling during the
whole Congress to keep the appropriations
down until he got reputation
for closeness equal almost to that
enjoved by Mr.. Holman But Il was simply
impossible to check the growing extravaganza
of expenditures And at the next Congress
the democrats will not find it any easier to keep
down expenditures. II they DO not ex-
erei-e the greatest care and begin the
House is organized, the rules made and the
committee formed they may find at the end of
the Congress that they have appropriated
about much, possibly more than the repub-
hcaIs appropriated during that just closed
GENERAL COMMITTEE SUGGESTED.
In a conversation today with Mr.. Savers.
the democratic leader of the committee
on appropriations. he suggested to a STAR
reporter that in order to insure a practi-
cal reform in the expenditures of the gov
eminent there should be committee,
consisting of not less than fifteen members
upon the expenditures of the government
instead of a committee for each department. as
now constituted. 1T is fact" he saws, which
cannot be disputed, that no single one of the
several committees upon the expenditures in
the departments has within the last three Con-
crosses ever investigated the expenditure
Of any department and reported the
result Of their investigation to the
House. In truth. these committees
have rarely ever held even a single sitting dur
ing any Congress and the consequence has been
that nothing has resulted to the House from
their organization. II a general committee
the same dignity and enjoying the
same powers and privileges as the
committee Oh ways and means and the COM
mittee on appropriations, it cannot be
doubted that such a committee would be able
TO furnish the House with such information
and advice US would lead to a very great
reduction of expenditures and thorough
reform in the administration of the public
service What do the House and the country
Know IF the expenditures under the several
laws making indie finite appropriations? The
expenditures and methods of administration
under these permanent appropriation acts are
practically unknown TO Congress.
NO INVESTIGATION MADE.
There has been no investigation, so far as
can remember. as tc such expenditures though
the several departments have. year after wear,
been expanding the public money in obedience
to the authority granted them under these
laws. What DO Congress and the country
know about the internal administration of the
pension office. the Post Oihce Department the
Indian Office, the land office. the patent Office
the bureau of internal revenue and the several
bureaus of the Navy Department. Which one
of the committees ON expenditures of the
several departments has ever made report to
the House during the past four Congresses?
But II these committees were consolidated into
one great committee. standing upon an equal
footing with the most important committees of
the House. with powers to investigate and to
report. by bill otherwise. as is allowed to the
committees on WAYS and means and of appro-
priatons. il Is believed that it would be able to
furnish Congress with such information re-
speeding the administration of the exeeuti =
only TO a great reduction OF expenditures, but
also to the rendering of better service to the
people Ii is utterly impossible for the
committee on appropriations. with the work
required of it. to make the necessary investiga-
tiOns. and it should have the benefit of the in
formation which could and would be furnished
through the organization Of one general COM
mittee upon expenditures in lieu of the several
small committees now constituted to inquire
into the expenditures Of several departments.
cHAIR9IES SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED.
Mr.. Savers also believes that it would be
sound policy for the houses to establish the
Office of chairman Of the committee of the
whole and of the committee of the whole on the
state Of the Union This would secure uni
formity OF ruling and independence of action
in these committees by the presiding officer.
1T has been n noticeable fact, he says, that
chairmen of the committee Of the whole have
been appointed by the Speaker. from time to
time. at the instance Of the gentlemen whose
bills were TO be considered. and very often has
IL been the case that the rulings of such
ehairmen have not only been at
variance, but have led to the suspicion that
there was an undue leaning toward the opinion
expressed by the gentlemen in charge of the
particular bill under consideration when a qaes-
ton Of order has been raised
This would be obyiated If one man was
elected by the House for the whole Congress
and dependent upon the House only for the
position"
These two suggestions, he thinks. If carried
ont, ought to result in a reduction of the cur
rent expenditures 80 per cent