The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-11
HIS FEAT IN FIGURES
CONCLUSION is THAT THERE is
A SURPLUS OF $1O,OO0,0OO.
Mr.. RICHARDSON'S ACUTE QUESTION
In Reply He Said That at the End OF This
Fiscal Year the Revenues Under His
Bill Would Exceed the
Expenditures,

CxpcTuttufcS'
Washington, Dec. 10.-The House to-
day passed the pension appropriation
bill without amendment, and adjourned
until Monday. The amendments offered
by the Democrats to correct alleged eX-
isting abuses were all ruled out on the
point of order that they were new legls-
lation. As passed the bill carried Sl4l,-
263, $50. The debate to-day covered
wide range. 1t touched not only the
question of our pension policy but that
of civil service reform and the receipts
and expenditures of the Treasury under
the Dingley law.
Consideration of the pension appro-
priation bill was resumed soon after the
opening of the House.
Mr.. Brown, Republican of Ohio), at
tackled. the civil service law because it
protected some Of the pension eXanlln-
ing boards appointed under the last ad-
ministration. He styled it an 'abomln-
ation' and was Justify applaured by
many of his colleagues. He SAID the
soldiers of his district regarded this law
as inimical to their interests and he Ia
yored its repeal or radical modification.
Mr.. Maxwell, (Populst of Nebraskal,
submitted remarks in favor OF llDeral
pensions and was followed by Mr.. Gros-
yenor. Republican of Ohio9 who said
that while his colleagues from ONO
seemed to differ on the civil service ques-
ton he thought they were practically CT
one mind.
Mr.. Sullivan, democrat of Mississ-
ippi), in support of an argument agalnst
the payment of pensions to those who
were wealthy and did not need them,
quoted at length from an article recently
written by Gen Ell. V. Boynton, whose
testimony against abuses IN the present
system, he said, was entitled to respect
full consideration by the other side.
Mr.. johnson. Republican of Indiana),
in defense of civil service reform reiter-
ated his statement of the other day that
civil service reform was an essential
principle of Republicanism. Mr.. john
son declared that the enemies of the
law dare not attack it openly.
"Do YOU favor life tenure Of office z
asked Mr.. Pearson. Republican of
North Carolina.)
.sI do in the civil service" replied Mr..
johnson emphatically. II believe that
the offices are public trusts held by the
people who deserve them; that they are
not owned by politicians to be used for
rewarding their friends"
Messrs, Carmack, Gaines and Sims,
Democrats, of Tennessee, spoke briefly
in favor of retrenchment in pension ex-
penditures The latter expressed the
opinion that the Dingley law would not
supply sufficient revenue for the increas-
ing pension expenditures. These re-
marks drew out an important statement
from Mr.. Dingley regarding the pros
pectiye revenues and expenditures for
Preliminary fl
the statement, Mr.. Dingley gave new
Interpretation of the estimated increase
in pension expenditures contending that
the maximum was reached in 1893 when
the pension payments amounted to $159,-
600 600. In 1894 they fell to $141, ,OOO,-
600; 1895, Sal, 100000; 1896, $139, ,OOO,-
600 and in 1897, $141, 100000. If the
expenditures for pensions during the
next fiscal year should be $14S, ,OOO,OOOl
as had been estimated the increase, Mr..
Dingley said, would not be due to new
legislation but to more rapid admins
tration of the present law. 1t would
therefore involve no additional expense
In the end.
The question as to the revenues and
expenditures for the next fiscal year pro-
ceeded Mr.. Dingley, was practlcal one
which Congress had to face. line state
ment OF the Secretary of the treasury
he said. had caused much misapprehen-
sion owing to the fact that under new
provision of law he had been Obliged
to include in the estimates of expendl-
lures $73,OOO,O 900 for public works which
neither he nor the Secretary Of War
nor any other well informed person be-
lieyed would be expended. Counting this
the estimated deficit he said will be
$21 100000.
He violated no confidence he said,
when he stated that the Secretary OF the
Treasury and the President were conf
dent that the receipts next year would
exceed the expenditures.
Mr.. Dingley said he took it for grant
ed that Congress would exercise reason
able economy. 1t was not expected that
the expenditures for public works next
year would exceed $30,000,000 Contin-
uing Mr.. Dingley pointed out the fact
that the actual cost of the administra-
ton of the government the ordinary ex-
penses per capita, had remained about
stationary for many years. The cost was
about $3.50 per capita. At the present
time the expenditures were slightly inl
excess of S. but 50 per capita went
for pensions and about so cents for in
terest on the public debt. The estimate
of the Ways and Means Committee
had been that the tariff law with other
receipts would bring In an income Of
Eve and one eighth dollars per capita |
and Mr.. ningley declared that when the
: rxpcnditures were brought within that