The times., 1899-03-06
STATEMENTS made BY
DOCKERY AND CANNON
Comparisons of Expenditures
in the Last Congress.
The MiSsourian Charges Wastful
Use Of Public Moneys.
The chairman OF thc Appropriations
Committee Fi;surcS Economy.
B.rring War Necessities.

Of the House. have prepared statements as
TO the expenditures Of the Fifty-ffth Con-
gress. They agree on their estimates of
the appropriations OF Congress, placing the
total sum at the sum OF 81 566 S90016, and
in their estimates Of the cost of the Span
ish war. which they put at $iS2, 562, ,OS3.
Mr. Dockery. however, goes further and
points out that the existing deficiency in
the revenues of the Government now
amounts to 500 .000 GO0 and that by June so
it will have risen to $4,000 GOO He
claims that the deficit during the coming
fiscal year will be not less than SlC0 0eo OUU
This, ii verified. viii wipe out the entire
receipts from the sale of bonds under both
Cleveland and Mckinley and leave the
country with an actual deficit, instead of a
borrowed surplus.
Mr. Dockerys statement in full follows:
The Congress just passed easily sur
passes all its predecessors in the stupend-
Gus aggregate OF its appropriations. II was
thought that the Fifty-iirst Congress-
commonly known as the 'Bllion-Dollar
Congress. had, in point of extravaganza of
appropriations. touched limit which
would not be reached or at least surpassed
oy any Of its successors.
The late Congress. however. has far
exceeded the appalling total of appropria-
tons then made, and II VIII be remembered
that the 'Billion-Dollor Congress was fol-
lowed by overwhelming disaster TO the
Republican party at the ensuing election.
Confronted with a war with Spain. re-
CgiTing the imposition of additional taxa
lion. IL is obvious that rigid economy
sho.ld have been applied in all other direc-
tions To the expenditure of public money.
The people We're willing TO meet all the
demands upon the National Treasury made
necessary by the Spanish war. hut it IS
IN hay .4gr 81 boEr
Representatives. in view of the cheerful
disposition manifested 10 meet these added
burdens. 10 limit the ordinary appTOpria-
lions 10 the necessities Of a wise and eco
nomical administration. These expecta-
ticns have no; been realized.
Actual DcHcicucs.
The result IS an actual deficiency in
current revenues. amounting. on the first
OF this month. 10 S9s. .lC9. .55s50 This de-
ficisncy. as shown by recent conservative
estimate by Chairman Cannon. of the AD-
propriat:ons Committee, viii probably reach
Sl5a. .GGe, 600 on the S0th of June next
1t is Impossible 10 estimate with abso-
lutte accuracy the Treasury deficiency for
the coming fiscal year. The Secretary OF
The Treasury. in his annual report made
in December last. estimated it At about
SSl.gop.0GG. but il IS now apparent that il
viii not be less than Si00UG 600. II is
oTnment VIII be compelled during the cal
endar year 1900 TO face an actual Treasury
dsiCieREy The Si62 coo 600 of income aTi5-
ing from the safe OF bonds under this I'D
ministIation and that Of President Cleve-
land will then have been exhausted and
tie Treasury viii pass from the condition
of a borrowed surplus TO an actual deficit.
Such condition must be met either 10y
increased taxation. or by the issue of
Treasury certificates, or by an additional
bond issue.
notwithstanding this depIorab!e Treas
urg situation. which has been called over
aud over again TO the atteHtlo on OF Con-
gress and the country, appropriations have
been made which in many cases have not
been warranted by the interests OF the
public service, or which. If proper in them
selves. should have been postponed until
the national income should be ample to
meet all its liabilities without the neces-
sity OF bond issues.
The BiIIiou-DoElar Congress.
The appropriations of the original
Billion Dollar Congress amounted to
sl,0S5. $50 lee.94. The appropriations Of the
Congress just ended reach the mighty ag-
gregate Of S1.56G.S $40. .0f62S. 1t is fair TO
deduct from this total S4s2. .562. .0S3.47. made
necessary to meet the liabilities OF the
Spanish war. SO, il We deduct from the
grand total The liabilities on account OF
the Spanish war, it appears that the ap-
preparations Tor the ordinary expenses OF
The Government are sL0si,3 32I .s32 ST. The
appropriations Of the Congress just ended
TO meet the ordinary Governmental eN-
p5Ises exceed those Of the preceding
Hifty-fourthD Congress by $50. .747. .65s. 81
Not only this, but the contract liabilities
authorized by the Congress just expired
for new ships and their armament, public
buildings. rivers and harbors, and miscel-
ianeous items amount TO S7o, ,G02 524. II
therefore. TO the ordinary appropriations
Is added the liabilities on account OF these
authorized contracts, We ascertain that the
appropriations and contract liabilities
amount to the tremendous total OF Sl,Iji-
$50. 45Csl.
These increased appropriations have
gone for French spoliaJion claims. public
buildings. rivers and harbors, Bowman act
claims. and hundreds of other projects.
some meritorious. but many of them not
entitled 10 recognition by the National
Government In nearly every branch OF the
civil service Of the Government there has
been an increase Of appropriations
The time has come TO reform the scale
of national expenditures. The reckless i'm
providence OF the outgoing Congress viii at
least serve the good purpose of arousing
the people and Of causing them to send
Representatives TO the National Capital
who will reduce the burdens imposed by
riotous appropriations.
Mr.. CanDcn's Statement.
Mr.. Cannons statement is as follows:
The appropriations made at the session
of Congress just closed amount, approx
imately. TO S673. .65S. 400 and show an ap-
parent reduction of s2lg. .573 900 under the
appropriations made al the preceding ses-
sion This is attributable to the large eX-
penses occasioned by the war with Spain
that were provided for during the preced-
ing session.
The entire appropriations made by the
Fifty-ffth Congress aggregate 81 5GG, $50 =
Ol6.2S. or. this sum SiS2, $50. a is di-
rccuy chargeable 10 our late war with
Spain or incident thereto. Deducting this
charge from the whole amount of the ap-
propriatlons. the remainder, $l.0S4. .327-
6S2-si, represents the ordinary or normal
appropriations made by the Fifty-ffth
Congress.
The appropriations made by the pre-
ceding Congress. the Fifty-fourth amount
ed 10 sl.0I4 $50. 273.s7. 4 comparison shows
an increase in ordinary appropriations
made by this Congress over those made by
that Congress. the Fifty fourth. of $39 -
$4,000, but this apparent increase is more
than accounted for by increases under
eight items alone, namely. for pensions,
Si.000.eO0; for the postal service Sic 900 ,O2O;
for rivers and harbors. including work un-
der contracts previously authorized, s., ,6O0-
600: for new ships for the navy, S. 600 900:
for beginning the work of the Twelfth
Census, 81 000. 600; for the Paris EXPOSE
lion, 81 100000; for new public buildings
including the building for the Department
of Justice and for eita and martial cnp