The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-06-12

WASHINGTON, June 12.-Chairman Cam
non, of the house appropriations commit
tee, and ex-Chairman Sayers made public
a joint statement concerning the expendi-
lures authorized by this congress, discuss
ing them from the Republican and Demo-
cratic standpoints, respectively. The to-
tai of appropriations for the session, in
Guiding permanent annual appropria-
tions, is S515 759, ,62O.40.
Mr. Cannon's statement begins:
"Ihe appropriations charged to this ses-
sion includes S119, ,O54, 100 under permanent |
laws, of which amount s5O,0OO,OOO is for
sinking fund and $50, 100000 for interest |
on the public debt, or S3355, ,6144O more |
than was included at the last session of |
congress in the statement of apprupria- |
tions, and is on account of the increase of |
S162, Bio 400 in the bonded Indebtedness of |
the country by the present administration
up to February, 1895, the interest and sink
ing fund charge on account of the later
bond issue of $4,000 900 in February,
1896, amounting to 81 40O, 900, not being in
cluded in the estimates of permanent APP
preparations.
"The increase in the principal of the in
terest bearing debt of the country under
the present administration amounts to
1862, ,3l5, 400, which entails an annual in
terest charge of $11 ,492 ,616, and TO meet
the sinking fund obligation the further
sum of s., ,623 154.
During the administration of Mr.. Har-
rison the principal of the interest bearing
debt was reduced S25S, 900, and the an
nual interest charges SlO,32I7l
"Theregular annual bills, including de-
fcencies, as passed by the house made
A. IA,
the executive of $26, ,OS3, 1857 they were
increased by the senate So, ,92O, 1920, and
as they became laws they appropriated
S10636, ,624O6 less than as passed by the
senate, Sl2, ,2S3 SlS.24 more than as passed
by the house, and S13,374, ,37343 less than
the estimated requirements of the admin
istration.
"The regular annual appropriations, in
Guiding deficiencies, made at the last ses-
sion of congress, amounted to S3s3,636,-
S9697, and including the river and harbor
bill. Excluding the river and harbor act
passed at this session, the regular annual
bills as passed by the house appropriated
only S373, ,5O5, 0S225, or more than S10,OO0,-
600 less than was appropriated by the last
Democratic congress"
Mr.. Cannon criticizes the treasury de
partment because it has expended SI377,-
440 for the present year in collecting the
revenue from customs estimated at $780,
OOO,O0O whereas, for the last fiscal year,
1892, under President Harrison's admins
tration, there was collected under the Nc
Kinley tariff act S177 ,452, 600 of customs
revenue at a total cost of only S6,6O75l7
The bills establishing salaries instead of
the fee system for officers of United States
courts will save S1OOO,OOO annually aud
minimize frivolous and malicious prosecu-
tions, and special attention is called to the
fact that congress made no increase of
salaries of employees in the government de-
partments.
The following table Of appropriations is
! given: Fifty-first congress, S9SS, All, 1894 (;
| Fifty-second congress, 81 ,097, 1O45479s Fif-
! ty-third congress, S9S9, ,239, ,205,69: Fifty
fourth congress, first session, S515, 759, $50, 49,
The revenues for three fiscal years of the
Harrison administration, ending June 30,
1892, are given as 81, 1,150,631 ,214; expendi-
lures, 1905, 1872 SOL For the two complete
fiscal years of Cleveland's administration {:
Revenues, S611, 112 ,O94; expenditures, S723-
72O,57S.
Mr. Sayers, in his statement, says of the
total appropriations for the session.
"This sum exceeds the appropriations
made during the last session of the Fifty
third congress by S1S, ,75l, ,299.S3, and those
| of the first regular session of that congress
by 1923, ,529. 1876. 46. 1t is less than the ap-
preparations by the second session of the
Fifty-second congress by only 50, ,744 ,53S ~,
| although at the latter session 1898
494S5 more was appropriated for pensions
than at this session. 1t is more than those
by the first session of the Fifty-frst con-
gress by SCI 303, "a and S25, ,464 ,040S0 less
than the appropriations at the second ses-
sion of the Fifty-frst,
"The senate, organized this session by
a combination of Republican and Popu
list votes placing the control of commit
tees in the hands of the Republicans, by
its amendments to appropriation bills a.
they passed the house, proposed to increase
the total by s22, ,920, 442.3 30 By conferences
between the two houses this aggregate in
crease was reduced to Sl2, 1888 SlS.24.
"The appropriations made at the second
session of the Fifty first congress exceeded
those made at the first session of the same
congress by $40, ,767, ,6l264, or nearly 10 per
cent, If the same proportionate increase
should be made at the next session then
the appropriations will not be less than
S565, 600, 600
Contracts authorized by this session he
$50, GIG 404 public buildings, lighthouses
and revenue cutters, 81, ,4O6,00O; defenses
and armament, 81, 195,076; new warships,
Sl2, 100000 District of Columbia, Sl2l0OO
total, SIS ,241 ,4S0.
He SAYS that the total expenditures in
one fiscal year have never been so great
except during the civil war, and exceed
the assessed valuation Of property in any
one of the South Atlantic states. In con-
clusion Mr., Sayers says:
"If the present congress had rigidly re-
fused authority for additional contracts,
and had appropriated only to meet the inn
mediate or fiscal year requirements under
existing ones, the next congress and ad-
ministration wo uld have been in n posi-
ton 20 largely reduce appropriations and
expenditures, and the administration of
the government could easily have returned
to an economical method of expenditure.
This, however, has not been done, and the
majority in congress must be held rospon-