The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-02
CAPITAL.
Committee on ApprOpria-
tiOns Already at Work.
Senator Hale Has Hopes For the
Dingley Bill.
Senator Lodge Would Accept no Place In the
Gift of the President.

washington, Dec. Z.-Inere were
q number of members of the house com.
mittee on appropriations at the Capitol
yesterday, the sub -cimmittee on the
legislative bill having a long conference
with the civil service commissioners.
Chairman Cannon, in speaking of the
work of his committee, said: Under
the law, the secretary Of the treasury
transmits estimates for the public serv-
ice at the beginning of the session.
Through the courtesy of the treasury
department the committee on appro-
priations has on hand advance copies OF
the estimates covering all the bills over
which that committee had jurisdiction.
The various subcommittee no doubt
will make considerable progress in an
alyzng these estimates before congress
meets on next Monday.
ut would not be proper for me at this
time to speak OF the details of any OF
these estimates, but, as published re-
Gently, the estimates for fortifications
amount to something more than $15,000,-
COO. At the last session of congress there
was an important departure from the
methods Of appropriations for fortiflca-
tions by giving to the secretary of wal
authority 20 enter into contracts for ma
terial and labor for constructing guns
and mortar batteries at the important
ports OF our seacoast to the extent OF
$500, coo. Just what the department has
done in the way of acting under this
authority has not been developed.
The committee possibly will be en-
abled To complete the preparation of
the pension appropriation bill and report
1t to the house on the first or second day
x.f 4. 20.
| have the legislative bill in condition to
report by the middle or last Of the first
week of congress-"
What. in your judgment, will be the
| policy of the committee touching liberal
| appropriations for the public service?"
1T is per" ectly well understood that
! the revenues received by the government
are not equal to the expenditures, and
| that the deficit has been, and is being,
| paid from the proceeds of money bor-
rowed on interest. Keeping this condi-
ton in view, in my judgment the con-
| gress will provide by appropriation for
| an effective public service. taking care,
| however, to avoid extravaganza, and
| limiting appropriations to the require
| rnents Of the government economically
| administered"
Senator Hale expressed the opinion
that the senate would take up, and. he
hoped, pass the Dingley bill at the ses-
sion to begin next Monday. I'VE ought
TO have it," said he, "for the treasury re-
ports show the great need Of more
revenue. While / would not attempt to
speak for all OF them, / am satisfied that
some of the silver Republicans will give
their assistance to the passage of the
| bill and l cannot believe that the Dem
ocrats would put any unusual obstruc-
tion in the way of the success of the
measure. Furthermore, / am quite per-
suaded that Mr.. Cleveland would not
veto the bill if it should be presented 10
| him"
Senator Cannon of Utah, who has
reached Washington, and who was one
OF the Republican silver senators who
joined the Democrats last session in de-
feating the consideration of the Dingley
tariff bill, and who subsequently bolted
the st. Louis convention, says that the
reasons which induced him to vote
against that measure at the last session
are accentuated now by the discovery
that some of the interests which last
session favored its immediate enactment
| are now opposed to it. This, he says, is
especially true of the wool industry, on
| the ground that the present enactment
| of the Dingley bill would delay the en-
actment of a satisfactory tariff measure
containing adequate protection for the
wool growers.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts re-
turned to the city yesterday from Can
ton, where he visited President-elect
Mckinley. In an interview he said con-
cerning reports that he was interested
| in any place for himself under the new
| administration: There is no place in
the gift Of the president that would
tempt me to give up the position as SEN
| ator from Massachusetts,. The very fact
| that I went to Canton would indicate, 1t
seems to me, that l have no application
| to file. AS a matter of fact, would not
permit anyone to say anything for me.
There Is no place that desire other than
the one now occupy"
Further than this the senator would
| not talk concerning his visit.
Senator PETER of Kansas, the only
| Populist senator In the city, says that
the Populsts will not put anything i'm
the way of the passage of Senator
| Chandler's plan for an International
monetary commission, save q statement
| Of their views as to its utter uselessness.