The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-03-12
CONGRESS AND THE APPRO.
PRIATiONS.

committee, has completed his review
OF the appropriations of the last con
gress, and given the same to the pub
lie. 1t is accompanied with a mum
Der Of recommendations and sugges
. tions, that make it of unusual in
/ terest to the public. The total ap
preparations of the last congress, in.
Guiding those provided for ia the
bills that failed to receive the sig.
nature of President Cleveland, and
the general deficiency bill that failed
in conference, reached the total OF
$5lS, 103, 458, or total of S25, 1888. 27f
less than called for in the estimates
submitted to congress by the
executive. The total appro.
priations of the congress at both ses.
sions reached 81, DAB, 1856 This ex.
exceeds the appropriations of the pre-
ceding congress by over 100000
The increase includes appropriations
for Notifications, river and harbor
works, public buildings, the postal
service and naval purposes. In dis
cussing the appropriations, Mr.. Can
non says: "The appropriations are,
in my Judgments in excess of the legit-
innate demands of the public service.
But this fact, while greatly to be de-
plored, is not, in my opinion, properly
chargeable to the action of either of
the great political parties of the coun-
Try.
sit is the result of conditions acru-
ing out Of the rules of the house and
out OF the rules, practices and So
called courtesies of the senate to-
gether with the irresponsible manner
where executive submits to congress
estimates to meet expenditures for
the conduct of The government.
''If the appropriations made by con-
gress have been extravigant and be-
yond the revenues of the government,
how much more SO have been the esti-
mates Of the executive? The record
shows that in no instance during the
many years past have the appropria-
tiOns made by congress measured up to
the full amounts recommended and
asked for by the administration.
st is said that ours is the only
government in the civilized world
wherein the administrative branch
apparently shows no degree of respon-
sibility to the taxpayers for it's de-
mands to the expenditure Of public
money, and that ours is the only gov
eminent wherein the legislative
branch alone exercises the function
or duty of check upon public expendi-
lures without considerable degree of
cooperation on the executive.
cit is hoped, and l believe that the
incoming president, with his long ex-
perience as distinguished member
of the legislative branch of this gov.
eminent, will exact of his cabinet
councillors some degree of whole
some effort in the direction of intelli-
gent recommendation of public eX-
penditures, to the end that congress
may not have to stride unaided and |
alone toward bringing our public ex-
pendltures swithin the sum of our
public revenues"
He criticised the action of the
senate in always loading up" the
general deficiency bill and making it
a vehicle for all sorts of claims.
In discussing the remedies for
keeping down appropriations. MIR.
Cannon makes the following pertinent
suggestions: 1.-THE remedy for this
evil is for the great committees of the
house and senate on the judiciary,
claims and war claims to formulate
an intelligent measure that will II
provide tribunal of final jurisdiction
whittier these claims may be sent for
full and intelligent consideration. BY \
such measure those who have
honest and legitimate claims against .
the government can be paid, and that
some Of the claims above referred to
ire just and should be paid there is no
doubt. Claims that are based upon
fraud can be stigmatiZed as fraud !
ulent by such tribunal and congress,
,nce for all, eau be relieved OF the
annual importantly for their consid-
,ration. /
There are too manysappropriation
bills. Instead of fourteen there \
,ugnt not to be more than ten. The
gricultural bill ought to be made, as
t was prior to 1881, a part Of the
legislative, executive and judicial \
appropriation bill, which provides for I
he official staff and expenses of the
everal executive departments, ex-
ept the agricultural department.
1.-THE army Qualifications, mill ary Il