Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-02-28
RIGID ECONOMY.
House Leaders Pretend to BE Trying
10 Enforce 1t.
The EyerIaiiin9 Tariff giIg-lhe Kentucky
cfse agricultural appropriations.

Il Is evident that tine leaders OF the honse
80 far az it can lie said 10 have leaders
are struggling desperately to enforce the
most rigid economy, and n visit TO the
rooms of the principal committees shows
that 80 far ~ they are concerned the prEn-
ing knife Will Get deep. Chairman Bank
head Of the committee on public buildings
and grounds, for instance. Bays that the
entire appropriation OF that committee foT
this year cannot exceed 5000, 600 and
may fall considerably below that. In the
Fiftieth congress about SO, ,000. 600 were
appropriated, and In the Fifty-first con
press sl1 ,00O. 900 But in the F'ifty-sec-
ond congress there were no appropriations,
and as result Of these sudden changes
the matter Of public buildings all over the
country has got into a somewhat awkward
state. Indeed the Fifty-tirst congress had
authorized more buildings than the force
in the architects office could devise plans
and specifications for, and very many more
than there was money to pay for work on,
especially after the treasury had run dry
as it were. 1t was therefore ~ much q
matte. Of necessity rs Of virtue that the
Fifty-second congress was so economical.
Public IIuiidIngs.
"The committee, - says Chairman Bank
head, "has so far only reported two small
bills. and we now see that We were too
bagiy with them. IL has before it, how
ever. bills providing for the expenditure
Of from 500. 900 600 to 500, 600 600. In
short, IL we should pass the bills now be
fore us and vigorously urged, We should
swamp the treasury at once. There are 30
buildings already in process OF construc-
tion or authorized and not yet begun.
The most pressing Of these Is the big
government printing office here, which
must he provided for and pushed at once,
for the condition in this city is bad, If not
disgraceful. In the city Of Chicago the
same may be said of that building which
is SO nearly falling down. Action is an
immediate necessity and so we have de-
ci,led upon "A subcommittee to investigate
on the spot. Many other places are de
mnndn2 buildings, of course, and very
many are necessary. but they simply can't
have them st present owing to the condl-
tiOn Of the treasury. of course the west
wants them the most as the new states
have few or none. and their members are
clauoruus indeed.
Nearly all the public business in those
states is done in rented buildings. And
20 il is in some of the Older states, and
right here in Washington, for that matter.
Ia This city the government is paying
S200, 900 in rent every year, and the amount
ie increasing. and il is for buildings II
every way unsuitable, rs they were not
built for government use. The great dis
aster at tho old Ford 5 thenter is sstill fresh
iu the public mind, and the indignation
on that subject has but little ahated SO
we must push the work in Washington.
But as to the country generally, it is II con
ditic@ and not II theory that confronts us.
II ;hC times should improve, we may grow
II little more generous"
Senator Voorhees, Prophecy.
Senator Voorhees, is gaining much The
same reputation in regard to the tariff bill
that Secretary seward did carly in the
war by his promises Of putting down the
rebellion in go or 30 days. When the bill
was first sent to his committee and refer
red to the subcommittee consisting OK
Mills. Vest and Jones, Senator Voorhees,
confidently declared they would lay it be-
fore the committee next Tuesday, or
next Thursday anyhow Next Tuesdays
and next Thursdays continued to come
and go, while the most confident state
meutS were made twice every day about
what the committee had decided to do
the afternoon papers carefully contradict
ing every statement made IN the morning
papers. At length very elaborate report
of the doiugs of the subcommittee was
sent TO New York and other cities and
published, whcrcupon Senator Jones en-
phatically declared that there WASH t Il
word of truth in it, and so All the guessers
had 60 begin over again. senator Berry
of Arkansas said to your correspondent:
Disregard all statements not only about
what the committee have donc or viii do
but aS to final action in the senate. tell
You positively that no senator knows, and
il is in the nature of thing. impossible
that he Should know for weeks TO come"
The agricultural committee of the house
IL somewhat more liberal than the others,
Mt least in intentions. II not only inclines
at present to recommend some plan of
fighting the Russian thistle in tho north
west at national expense. but will make
Hn appropriation for continuing the inves
tigation of arid lands 1t will not he a
large appropriation 10y any means. but it
will furnish some of the members with
good reasons for short summer jaunt TO
the wild and woolIy west. The committee
ON appropriations continues to hurry its
work forward and is happy in being able to
enforce economy without lessening the eff
cheney of the service for it so happens that
this year the circumstances do not call for
ms large expenditures in many directions
as last year.
Pollard Versus Erectinridge.
Congress does not Ordinarily bother it
self about the moral character Of its mem
hers-that is. provided a man is not abso-
lu,ely rnhcarable- bu. the Kentucky case
is au eNception-a very pointed eScsp-
t.oa Be il observed that it is no longer
the case as stated in the court recoras--it
Is omphatically ''the keatucky case" 1t
is no longer Pollard versus BreckinridGe:
it Is Breckinridge versus Mrs. Blackburn
And if one may judge by the talk in the
hotels where soutnern men mostly lodge
the vote is 10 TO for the lady. No one
wants 20 ~ quoted by name, but here is
the language Of IN old southern lawyer
sud politician:
"Ia all my practice never read depo-
sition which sounded more like unvarnish-
ed truth than Mrs Blackburn s. Ii car
res the import OF absolute verify. will
go before any jury in kentucky with it
and get | | 10 l on its truth. so IL makes
no difference how the mere suit at law
comes out--he has gSt t5 answer to what
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