The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-09
COST OF RUNNING
THIS GOVERNMENT
The Fifty.fourth Congress Spent Alto
getber Just Sl,043, ,457.OlS.
COMPARED WITH IT'S PREDECESSOR
IL Ran About Forty Millions Ahead.
Chairman Cannon Gives the Rcn-
sons for the Increase and Also
Points Out Some had Evils in the
Prcmises--Vicws of Mr.. Sayers.

-..4------.-----.
Washington, March S.-The Congress
sional Record tomorrow will contain
statement made by the chairman of the
house committee on appropriations, Jo-
seph G.. Cannon, of Illinois, relative TO
the appropriations made by the Fifty-
fourth congress. Mr.. Cannon's state
ment is in part as follows:
The total appropriations of the two ses-
sons of this congress aggregate Sl,Ol3,-
i3GOlS. The appropriations Of the FlttN-
third congress, which was Democratic IN
both branches, with u Democratic eNecu-
tive amounted. according to the official
tables to $3.50. .23g. O5.Gg. To this sum, now
ever, should be added ST. 100000 ON account
of interest and sinking fund charges Tor
bonds issued by the Democratic admins
tration which were not included in the
estimates OF permanent appropriations
submitted to congress and stated in the
tables which brings the sum total of APP
propriations for all objects by the Fitty-
third congress up to 1898 G39 2O5G9, or Si9,-
7g7Sl2 less than the appropriations in
Cludng deficiencies, made by the present
congress.
In explanation of this apparent excess
of appropriations by the Fifty-fourth con-
Eress over those of the FiftY-third con-
gress ii should be stated that the Fifty
fourth congress made increases over It's
immediate predecessor on account of for
titiCatiOns i'm the sum of Sl2, J63 l6I; on ac-
count Of river and harbor works, includ-
ing contracts therefor, in the sum of
$2,41G 5O4: on account of the ConstruC-
ton of public buildings, none of which
We're authorized by the Fifty-fourth con-
press in the sum of 81 3I3,394: for the
postal service in the sum of Sl,45i, ,3O5: for
the naval establishment in the sum of
81 tlI rpn - nd a of nprDlanpnt
preparations, mainly to meet interest and
sinking fund charges for the bonds is
sued by the administration Just leaving
power, $2l9s3,74i, or total Of $G276s,939.
REMEDIES PROPOSED.
Mr.. Cannon admits that the appro-
priations exceed tn, 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 rec
commended and asked for by the admin
istratiOn. Mr.. Cannon condemns the
practice of the senate in recent years
of amending appropriation bills, not
ably the general deficiency bill, by in
cooperating provisions to pay claims
of every kind and character Outstand-
ing against the government, claims
that have no status in many cases
other than perfunctory reports from
committees, mere findings of the court
of claims and recommendations and re-
quests from the bureau officers anG
other officials of the government. The
remedy for this evil, he says, is the es.
tablishment of a tribunal of final iuris.
diction whittier these claims may be
sent for full and intelligent considera.
ton. He joins Mr.. DOckery in con,
demning the present arrangement OF
dividing the appropriation bills among
a number Of committees.
MIR. SAVERS VIEWS.
Mr.. Sayers, of Texas, another mem.
ber of the committee on appropria'
tions, will also make public, under {
leave to print, his views respecting tht
appropriations for the Fiftyfourtl
congress. He says:
| believe in the continuing contract sys-
TEN as applied to river and harbor i'm.
proVements and other necessary public
works, but not to the extent to which
it has been entered upon by this con
gress. In the river and harbOr act passed
at the last session under suspension OF
the rules, without the opportunity of dis
CuSSiOn or amendment, thirty-seVen works
We're authorized to be placed under con
tracts, involving total expenditure OF
500, ,lOi, After critical examination OF
these contract authorizations by the com
mittce ON appropriations at this session
il has developed that one of these works
authorized to be prosecuted under con
tract so 1hGp1lt,.lyr La
titute of merit that the war department
had refused to take any steps whatever
looking toward the prosecution of tn,
work, In another case authority wa,
given 20 enter into contract for AN import
ant work on the Atlantic coast to tn,
extent of more than $4,5OO,OJO for who's,
prosecution proposal has been made anC
accepted involving less than one-half tina
sum. AS TO three other important works
the estimated cost ON which authority
to enter into contracts for their com
pletion was based, proved to be erroneous
and Insufficient by about SO per cent il
each case. These Illustrations show tina
the practice OF authorizing contracts TO
public work should not only be carefully
considered in the light of the condition o
the treasury, but only after the fulles
investigation as to the real merits o
and necessities for the improV con
templated, and only ON the most careful
ly prepared and absolutely accurate es
Inmates Of probable cost.
one Of the causes for the enormous
growth in appropriations of late year
has been the increase Of our navy Sine
that work was inaugurated in 1883 seven
ty-seven ships of all classes have beel
constructed or authorized to be construct
ed at a cost of more than $780, 900 w.
Already the number of ships authorizes
would require, it is said twice the pres
ent number of authorized officers and me!
in the navy to keep them all in commits
sion. The cost of their daily mainten
ance alone is a severe draft upon our dim
inishng revenues. Some Of the most ey
pensiye of these great ships are alread
Classed by naval experts as obsolete |
would have been wiser If we had heede
the advice urged by many in the begin
ming of the construction of our new nav
to conline our appropriations With
lines simply sufficient to keep pace wit
the progress of modern naval architec
ture.