The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-10
NO PROBABILITY THAT THEY WILL BE CUT
River and Harbop Improvement and Pub
lie Buildings Are Also Things That Must
Be Had''-Money oos+ by WasfePulness
Postal Banks Will Add Heavily 10 The
Government Burden.

, may be said in regard to the evident
disposition of the pension committees
of both houses to scrutiniZe in the fu-
ture much more carefully than in the
past the private bills which come be-
fore them. In spite of these economies,
pension expenditures are expected
to run $7,000,000 higher this year than
last; and, if the pending claims could
be promptly acted upon, it is not inn
possible that a years outlay might run
up to $160,000,000 But without new
general legislation this sum is bound
to diminish and the tide will begin to
turn before many years.
No river and harbor bill was passed
last year, but congress is obliged to
appropriate about 100000 900 on account
OF contracts which have been already
authorized and made. About as much
more will have to be appropriated this
year on account of existing contracts.
and perhaps S3O,0000O0 additional will
be needed for work authorized, but
not yet contracted for. Chairman Can
non, OF the house committee on appro-
priations, fears another river and har-
Dor bill this year. but is evidently 60
ing TO try his best to prevent it's pas
sage Chairman Mercer, of the house
committee on public buildings, believes
that little should be done in his line
th1s year, but mentions a haIf-dozen
pidces WHere the need is so urgent
that an exception should be made in
thelr favor. The difficulty will be in
securing votes enough to pass a bill
providing for this number of buildings
A majority of the members of the
mouse must see something in a public
pulldlngs bill to please them. and such
mas been the economy of congress in
th1s particular for the past two wears
.nat more than six buildings will be
necessary to appease the public ap
petlte. This will be a. poor wear for
private claims-even for those which
are wholly meritorious and should long
ago have been paid.
BETTER RESULTS.
Many people believe that better re-
eclts coulo be secured from the old
system Dy winch the one committee on
appropriations handled substantially
all the fourteen appropriation bills in,
stead OF only six, as now. These are
What Mr.. Cannon's committee will this
year be expected to report. The legis-
latlve, the sundry civil, the fortifca-
tions, the deficiency, the District of
columbia, and the pension bills. Rut
from the foundation Of the govern
men Hlent aoWn to 1885, this committee con-
tiUileu L;1 practlcaily all the appropriation
pllls; and, as the house originates an
preparation bills, the committees con-
trol over affairs there generally was
very great Samuel j. Randall made
MS reputation in leadership on the old
committee on appropriations and it
was because, in the Forty-eighth con-
gfess, he broke away from his partv on
tIle larlIi question, that his old associ-
ates decided to relieve him of Some oe
his power Eight of the fourteen ereat
annual appropriation bills were taken
away from his committee. The army
ana military academy bills were sent
10 the committee on military affairs.
the naval bill to the committee on
naval affairs: the Indian bill to the
committee on Indian affairs: the diplo-
matlc and consular bill to the com
alittee on foreign affairs, and the post
once Dill to the committee on postofices
ana post-roads. This change in the
rules OF the house was opposed not
OILY by Mr.. Randall himself but bv
such Republican leaders as MCKINLEY
OF Oh1o, Phelps, of New JERSEY and
Cannon, of Illinois. They all predfc ed
that the change of rules. with the re-
sultlng division of responsibility, would
result IN an increase Of appropriations.
In thIs prediction the experience of the
last ten years has fully sustained
them For the ten years from 1877 to
1Sob, the total regular appropriations
CT congress amounted to S20l9 743 OOO
and for the following ten years, 1887 to
1886, 1876, they have amounted to SO, ,427, ,S7S.-
0oO, an excess in the latter period
averaging 10000, 900 a year.
OF course it would be absurd to
charge all this increase to the changed
system IN the house. But it is prob
able that this change has had some
thing to do with it, Under the present
system, each committee is impressed
with the Importance Of the particular
branch of the service for which it is
responsible, and desirous that that
branch shall not be crippled in its
operations by want of funds Each of
the several committees recommends
appropriations without consultation
with the other committees. and with
out being able to preserve the proper
balance between appropriations and
revenue. But, after all, it is with the
men who have charge of affairs, and
not with the machinery, that the set
tlement of this and every other con-
gressional problem rests.