The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1897-12-17
AFFAIRS At washington
Continued from First Page.

similar products. Nevertheless, it is es-
sential to break down this system that
the inspection on this side be of the most
rigid and careful character"
| The House has passed one appropria-
ton bill and has another well on the
way to passage. but in neither of them is
there any strenuous sign of economy or
reduction in the cost of government.
The pension bill, which has already pass
ed the House, absorbs about IS per cent.
of the revenues of the Government
The cost of the military and naval es.
Establishments can scarcely be reduced in
any direction and together absorb about
% per cent more of the revenues. Aside
from the money needed for the regular
current expenses of the various depart
ments of the Government, further sums
are always voted for river and harbor
improvements, public buildings. private
claims, and miscellaneous expenditures.
The last two Congresses. one Demo-
cratic and the other Republican, at least
so far as the House is. concerned, have
| been fully as economical as can be ex-
pected in the present or near future.
Not counting the sinking fund appro-
priatiors, and considering as postal ex-
pense only the postal deficit, the actual
expenses of the Government henceforth
cannot well be under $1,000, 600 a day
II the revenues were abundant and easy
monetary conditions prevailed this sum
could easily be exceeded BY from 10 to 20
per cent. The conservative members
of the House assign as one Of the reasons
for this state of affairs the dividing up of
the appropriation bills among various
committees instead of combining them al
| together to one committee. For many
years after the government was founded,
all money bills. those for the raising of
revenue as well as for the expenditure of
the same, were under the control of the
Committee on Ways and Means. Final
ly, the functions of raising and expend-
| ing the revenues were divided, the form
er remaining with the Ways and Means
Committee and the latter going to new
committee, that on Appropriations For
number of years the control of bills for
the expenditure of money was limited to
the Committee on Appropriations. When
the Democratic party resumed control of
the House in tue Forty Eighth Congress
John g. Carlisle of Kentucky, was elect
ed Speaker over Samuel j. Randall of
Pennsylvania, former Speaker. 1t was
thoroughly understood that Mr.. Randall
was to be made chairman of the Commit
tee on Appropriations. He was at outs
with his party on the tariff question and
to curtail his power as chairman Of the
Committee on Appropriations plan was
devised to take away from that commit
tee certain Of the appropriation bills and
to assign them to different committees.
For instance. the Army Appropriation
bill went to the Committee on Military
Affairs. the Naval to the Committee on
Naval Affairs. the Agricultural to the
Committee on Agriculture. the Postoffice
to the COMMITTEES on P0stoffices and
Postroads, and the Indian to the Com
mittee on Indian Affairs. This divis-
ion of responsibility for a great many
bills was vigorously opposed, not only
| by Mr.. Randall, but by other leading
members OF his own party and by
leading men of the Republican par
ty, including at the time William Nc
Kinley, Jr., of Ohio and Joseph G.. Can
non of Illinois, the former now President
and the latter chairman Of the Commit
tee on Appropriations They predicted
that this division of responsibility would
lead to greatly increased expenditures in
the various departments of the govern
ment without any resultant benefit,
Waving the question of resultant benefit,
it remains a fact that their predictions
have proven true so far as increase of ex-
penditures is concerned. This division
Of responsibility exists at the present and
it is probable that it will always exist,
for whenever power is granted to any set
of men or organization it is never given
up without struggle, and there are too
many in the House interested in main
tanning the present arrangement to leave
any hope that the former order can be
restored, although it would undoubtedly
rebound to the public benefit. If, there
fore, the revenues of the government do
not equal its expenditures the only re-
lief that can be looked for lies in the inn
position of additional taxes to raise the
revenues to the level of the expenditures.
This may not be what the country is
looking for, but it is certainly what it
will get.
AS was predicted above Secretary
Cages order reducing all clerks in the
Treasury Department above seventy to
the 5000 rate of compensation raised
controversy in Congress. Mr.. Moody of
Massachusetts opened the game. He de-
clared that Secretary Cages proposition
was the first step in the direction of the
establishment of civil pension list.
Mr.. Moody said that t5is proposition
should be met by Congress at the thresh-
old. He declared that if be true that
we have merit system which establishes
civil pension list, the American people
stand ready by majority of 100 to to
wipe it from the statute books He de-
MED. however. that the civil service law