The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-03-08
4 BILLION AND 4 Hall.


Appropriations Made BY ne conGrees
that naas Just Adjourned Were the
Largest Ever Known.
Washington, March 6.--The official
statement Of Representative Cannon,
OF Illinois, the chairman Of the house
appropriations committee, summing
up the appropriations of the Fifty
fifth congress, shows an aggregate
appropriation by the entire congress
of 81, 6,S90,016 and for the session
just closed total OF $e73, 3,65s,4OO, with
authority for contracts subject TO
future appropriations amounting to
$70,000,0OO. Chairman Cannon's state
ment follows:
'The appropriations made at the ses-
sion Of congress just closed amount ap-
proximately to $673,65s, 400, and show
an apparent reduction of $210,573,0 900
from the appropriations made at the
preceding session. This is attributable
to the large expenses occasioned by the
war with Spain that were provided
for during the preceding session. The
entire appropriations made by con-
gress aggregate $l,566,s90,O16. OF
this sum $4s2, 2,562, ,0s3 is directly charge
able to our war with Spain, or incl
dent thereto. Deducting this charge
from the whole amount of the appro-
priations, the remainder, $1,0S4, ,327,-
632, represents the ordinary or normal
appropriations made by congress.
'TThe appropriations made by the
preceding congress amounted to ST.
O44 4,5sO,273. A comparison shows an
increase in ordinary appropriations
made by this congress over those made
by the preceding congress of $39,747,-
900, but this apparent increase is more
than accounted for by increases under
eight items alone, namely: For PEN
sions, S4,000,000; for the postal service,
$16,000,0 600; for rivers and harbors, in
cluding work under contracts previous
ly authorized, $3,60O,O00; for new ships
for the navy, S6,O0O,OO0; beginning the
work Of the twelfth census, 100000
for the Paris exposition, $1,000, 600; for
new public buildings, including the
building for the department of justice,
and for the site and partial construc-
ton of the new government printing
Office, about $5,00O,0O0, and for pay
ment of judgments rendered against
the government on account of French
spoliations and under the Bowman act,
So, 100000.
'These necessary increases in public
expenditures aggregate $39,900,000-
more than dissipating the entire appar-
ent increase in the ordinary appropri-
ations by this congress over those made
by the Fifty-fourth congress. In ad-
dition to the direct appropriations
made at this session contracts were au-
thorized, subject to future appropria-
tions TO be made by congress, amount
ing to about $70,00O,OO OF this amount
$44,000,000 is for additional ships for
the navy, S22,5O0,0OO is for work on
rivers and harbors, and over $4,000, 900
its for public buildings"
Mr.. Dockery, of Missouri, the rank
ing democratic member of the house
appropriations committee, made the
following statement, giving the demo-
cratic view: "This congress easily sur.
passes all its predecessors in the stu
pendous aggregate of its appropria-
tiops. 1t was thought that the Fifty
first congress, commonly known as the
billion dollar congress- had in point
of extravaganza Of appropriations
touched limit which would not be
reached or at least surpassed by any
of its successors. This congress, how
ever, has far exceeded the total of ap-
priations then made. "