Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-04-28
TIE: WAR REVENUE BILL.
Chairman Ding1ey, of the House
Ways and Means Committee,
Submits a Report.
AMPLE FUNDS WANTED FOR THE WAR,
a I1Iuerence OF opinion ExIsIIng among
Officials to the steps Which Should
Be Taken to Recruit for the Volunteer
Army-Time Allowed Spanish Vessels
by Presidential Proclamation.


WASHINGTON, April 27.-Chairman
Dingley, of the ways and means COM
mittee, to-day submitted to the house
with the war revenue bill the following
report:
The precipitation on the United States of a
war with Spain has rendered it necessary to
Immediately provide ways and means to meet
war expenditures on the scale demanded by
modern naval and military operations. Such
an unwelcome demand on our resources comes
at a time when, under the workings OF the
tariff act Of July "a, 1897. had begun
to overcome in large measure the injurious ef-
feet of anticipatory importatfOnS and had al
ready received in the months of February and
March revenue more than S3 000, 600 in excess
of ordinary peace expenditure for these months
There is doubt that If peace conditions had
continued the estimate of the secretary OF the
treasury that the revenue for the next fiscal
year would reach $780, 600 900, exclusive OF
postal receipts, S63 600. 900 in excess OF
the revenue for the fiscal year 1895
and more than that in excess of what
the revenues for the next fiscal year. 1897
would have been If 1t had not been for antici-
patory importations in the last four months -cz
the latter year to avoid the increased duties OF
the new tarif-would have been more than re-
allied; and these receipts would have fully met
the expenditures for the next fiscal year If it
had not been for the increase caused by the
difficulties with Spain, inaSmuch as the ex-
penditures for the fiscal year 1895, exclusive OF
postal expenditures paid by postal revenue,
were only ,s852 600. 600 and for the fiscal year
1898 only 1865 900, 600
These difficulties, even before war conditions
arose, had so stirred the public mind as to de-
mand largely increased appropriations for en-
larging the navy and for national defenseS
The destruction of the Urited States battle
ship Maine in the harbor OF Havana on the 10Th
of February last so intensified the situation
that congress. few weeks thereafter. realized
the necessity of taking lprpppt measures to
prepare for any exigency and by joint reso1u-
tion appropriated $40. .OOO0 600 for national de-
Tense. Upon the authority of this joint reso-
luton about S25. 900 900 of this appropriation
have already been practically used. although
payments have as yet been made for only a
part of this sum, and liabilities for the re-
mainder of the appropriation will have been
incurred within two weeks An examination
of the condition Of the treasury will make it
apparent that no time should be lost in provid-
ing ample ways and means for carrying to a
successful conclusion the war in which we are
now engaged
Recruiting for the Volunteer Army.
WASHINGTON, April 27.-Some differ
ence of opinion exists among the war
| department officials as to the precise
steps which shall be taken to recruit
for the volunteer army called into
service by the president. Although
the kilograms sent by the department
yesterday to the governors Of the va
| rious states were entirely those of in
| O uiry the inference is drawn that the
governors are given certain preroga-
| tive in the work of raising a volunteer
| army. This is combatted by some of
| the law officers of the war department,
who hold that the act as passed does
not admit of such Interpretation.
Mai. J. n. Morrison. assistant to the
! Judge advocate of the army and a high
| authority on military law, in conver-
| sation with a represen tative of the AS
| sociated press expressed his views on
this subject. which, however, he said
were entirely unofficial and personal.
! He saws there is no provision in the
! volunteer army act for any state. or
the governor or other officer thereof,
to enlist any of the men of either
the regular or volunteer branch
| of the army or for them to have
ANYTHING to do with the raising of
either branch except that the governors
are to appoint certain designated Off
GERS of the volunteer branch. The en-
| listed men are obtained in the same
way in both branches, that is by vol
untarv contracts of enlistment directly
to the United States The governors
have no more authority, he says, to
raise the volunteer branch than to
raise the regular branch and it is not
| likely that one OF them has single
dollar in the state treasury that can
lawfully be used for raising either
/ branch.
/ Time Allowed Spanish Vessels
WASHINGTON, April 2z.-The presi
dent by proclamation has allowed
Spanish vessels in United States waters
till May 81 inclusive for loading and
departing and Spanish ships met at sea
shall he permitted TO continue their
voyage If loaded before that time in
the United States Spanish vessels
bound for the United States, which
sailed prior TO April 81. are exemp