The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-09
MR.. CANNON FIGURES.
APPROPRIATIONS OF CONGRESS
Es ARE COMPARED.
One of the Causes For the Enormous
Growth in Appropriations Last
Year Has Been the Increase of
the Navy.


propriations made by the Fifty-fourtl
congress. Mr.. -Cannon's statement i
in part as follows:
The total appropriations Of the tw'
sessions of this congress aggregari
s1.O4S,4 ,437 ,O1S.53. The appropriations o
the Fifty-thiFd congress- which wa
Democratic in both branches. with {
Democratic executive, amounted, ac
! cording to the official tables, to 1899,
239, ,205.69. To this sum, however
should be added 81, 100, 600 on account OF
interest and sinking fund charges fol
! bonds issued by the Democratic ad
miniStration, which were not included
! in the estimates of permanent appro-
! priations submitted to congress and
! stated in the tables, which brings the
| sum total of appropria tions for all OBJ
! jects by the Fifty-third congress VI
to 1898, ,639, ,205.65, or $49, 1877, ,S12.S4 less
! than the appropriations, including the
deficiencies made by the present con-
gress. In explanation of this apparent
excess of appropriations by the Fifty
fourth congress over those of the
Fifty-third congress, it should be
stated that the Fifty-fourth congress
made increases over its immediate
predecessor on account of Notifications
in the sum of 81, 563 467; on account of
river and harbor works, including con-
tracts therefor in the sum of $12.476,-
506; on account of the construction of
public buildings, none of which were
authorized by the Fifty-fourth con-
gresS, in the sum of S2,343, 1884, for the
postal service, in the sum of $11, ,454, 305;
for the naval establishment in the sum
Of $S,947 ,523; and on account of per-
manent appropriations, mainly to meet
the interest and sinking fund charges
for the bonds issued by the admin
istration just leaving power, 24,9S3.
744, or a total Of $62, 76S93S.
Mr.. Cannon admits that the appro-
priations exceed the legitimate de-
mands of the public service, but this
results, he says, from conditions grow
ing out of the rules of the house, the
So-called courtesy of the senate and
the excessive estimates submitted to
congress. The record shows that in no
instance during many years past have
the appropriations made by congress
measured up to the full amounts
recommended and asked for by the
administration. Mr.. Cannon condemns
the practice of the senate in recent
years in amending appropriation bills.
notably the general deficiency bill, by
Incorporating provisions to pay claims
ing against the government-claims
that have no stature in many cases
other than perfunctory reports from
committees; mere findings of the court
of claims, and recommendations and
requests from bureau officers and 9TH
er officials of the government. The
remedy for this sevil, he says, is the
establishment of tribunal of the ma
tional jurisdiction. whittier these
claims may be sent for full and intel
ligent consideration. He joins Mr..
Tockery in condemning the present
arrangement of dividing the appro-
priation bills among a number of
committees.
Mr.. Savers of Texas, member of
the committee of appropriations, will
also make public under a leave to
print his views respecting the appro-
priations for the Fifty-fourth con-
gress. He says:
I believe in the continuing contract
system as applied to river and harbor
improvements and other necessary
works, but not TO the extent which it
has been entered upon by this con-
SreSS- In the river and harbor act
passed at the last session. under sus-
pension of the rules, without the op-
portunity of discussion or amendment
q works were authorized to be placed
under contracts, involving a total eX-
penditure Of $50. GIG, 403.91 After criti-
cal examination of these contract au-
thorizations by the committee on ap-
at this. session. it was
developed that one of these works au-
thoTized to be prosecuted under con-
tract for 81. .000, 0G0 was so absolutely
destitute of merit that the war depart !
nent had refused to take any steps
Whatever looking toward the prosecu- /
ion of the work. In another case au- /
-hCrity was given to contract for an
important work on the Atlantic coast /
o the extent of more han g. SOC. .000 for /
whose prosecution a proposal has been /
made and accepted involving less than
'ne-half that sum. AS TO three other
important works, the estimated cost of 4,
which authority to enter into contracts
or their completion was based, proved
o be erroneous and insufficient by
.bout 80 per cent in each case These
Illustrations prove that the practice Of
contracts for public works
hould not only be carefully considered
n the light Of the condition of the
but only after the fullest in
-estigation as to the real merits of
I'd the necessity for the improvements
and only on the most
arefuily prepared and absolutely ac-
urate estimates of probable cost.
One of the causes for the enormous
rowth in appropriations of last
ear had been the increase III our navy
iEce that work was inaugurated in
SS3, a ships of all classes have been
onstructed and authorized to be con-
tructed at a cost of more than $13,-
DO, COO Already the number of ships
uthorized would require, it is said,
vice the present number of officers
nd men in the navy to keep them all
. commission. The most of their daily
alone is a severe draft
pom our diminished revenue.
Some Of the most expensive of these
reat ships are already classed by ma
al experts as obsolete. 1t would have
cen wiser if we had needed the ad- ,
ice urged by many in the beginning j
the construction of our new navy, I
} confine appropriations within lines
IMPLY sufficient to keep pace with the
rogreSS of modern naval architecture
he appropriation made for the sup
Drt of the federal government had
-own to such startling proportions 8
thin the last dozen years as to rem
er it well-nigh impossible TO devise !
cans of raising revenues wherewith
meet the expenditures. If the new I
just about to cross the ]
reShold of power carries out its q
edges by giving the country a pro- b
ctive tariff, it will utterly fail to pro- Il
Ice the means Of meeting expendi- r
res. if they are to be maintained on a
e existing high plane, unless, perad- t
nture, the protective tariff may be a
with a tax on coffee and t
a and perhaps other taxes of an o
ually onerous nature. d