Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-01
TO RUSH BUSINESS
Purpose Of the Leaders Of the
House.
WORK ON TIE APPROPRIATIONS
Policy of the Party as Indicated by
the Speaker.
WILL BE LESS RESTRAINT

1t will be the purpose of the leaders of
the House to dispose of business at the
approaching session rapidly as possible
prlations committee has evidently got to
work with that object in view. When the
subcommittee met yesterday they got right
down to business, and during the afternoon
heard about ali the necessary explanations
from officials of the Treasury and State
Departments of the estimates submitted
The estimates are not mere than normally
III excess Of those for the current fiscal
year. If there is much increase of appro-
priaticns passed it will he the result of
members taking the bit in their teeth and
running away with the House.
There is considerable speculation as to
how liberal Congress will be. AT the extra
session 1t was the policy of the Speaker
and his lieutenants to have no legislation
except Oh the tariff. 1t was therefore i'm
possible 10 determine whether the party
policy would he one of lii crafty or one of
what the democrats call ''retrenchment
and reform
Mr.. Cannon, the economic chairman of
the appropriations coma.ittee, speaks in d
more than ordinarily liberal tone, accord
ing to an interview published yesterday in
The Star. THIS probably reflects in a modi-
fed way the spirit which will predomnate
QuTlilS tHe session.
DeEiGi:d f-s Expenditure.
Members have been putting off the de-
mands of their constituents for long time
now, on the plea that the government was
short CT revenue and that needed puplic
improvements must wait until money was
more plentiful. The extra session vas de-
voted to legislation that would get the
money, and many will demand now that
Ia Gh.A
things that We're admitted to be meritor-
lous, requiring the expenditure of money
having been held up members generally
expect that al this session they will begin
clearing the docket. Besides the public
building bills, numbering more than two
hundred, there are many other public i'm
proVements in the way of river and narbor
work, light houses, etc, and a world of pri-
Vate claims. The persons interested in pri-
vate claims last year were among the most
clanorous in opposition to Speaker Reeds
policy of inaction during the special session,
and now that the reason for that policy has
been removed they Will undoubtedly be par
ticuiarly pressing. 1t will be argued
against too great liberality of appropriation
that the revenues have not yet sufficiently
increased and that the money should be
actually in the treasury before expend-
itures are authorized.
There is so much confidence among the
republicans IN the revenue-producing quail
ties of the Dingley law that most of those
to act On the assumption that there will
4e no trouble about the money to meet
dny expenditures authorized.
The Speakers Attitude.
What Speaker Reeds attitude will be is
uncertain, but it is supposed that, while
being reasonably liberal, he will try to hold
the House in check. 1t is question in
the minds of many how far he can succeed
in the exercise of restraining authority.
He mad pretty hard fight in private to
held the House back during the extra ses-
sion. and at that time he had not appoint
ed his committees, ana each member felt
some reluctance about incurring the Speak
er's displeasure. Now the committees have
been announced. and about the only IA
Vors which the Speaker has to beStow are
those of recognition. AT the same time
Speaker Reed has power in the House
which is not measured by the value of
his favor to the individual member. and it
Is doubtful whether there will be a general
revolt from what he insists upon as party
policy. 1t may be that a caucus will try
to shape the policy of the session. but if
this plan Is followed mis- authority or in
lueice IS apt to be almost as strong in
the caucus as in the House. 1t will proba-
bly, be his plan to relax IA little from the
restraint which circumstances heretofore
rendered necessary, and that MANY mat
ters of great merit which have been neg
lected will be disposed of during the ses
SiOn