The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-03-18
Total Appropriation SIS, DIG
And Continuing Contracts for
the Expenditure Of Many
Millions More.
For Ordinary Expenses of Govern
ment Nearly $50, 900, 900 More
Than the Billion Dollar
Congress.
THE SPANISH WAR COST s482,562,O 83.


Illinois. chairman of the House appropri
atiens committee summing up the appro-
priations of the Fifty fifth Congress, which
expired at noon yesterday, is in part as
fellows
THE appropriations made at the session
of Congress just closed amount, approx
mately, to s673, 65S, 400, and show an
apparent reduction of S219, 573, 900 under
the appropriations made at the preceding
session. This is attributable to the large
expenses occasioned by the war with Spain
that were provided for daring the proceed
ing session.
The entire appropriations made by the
Fifty fifth Congress aggregatesl 500, $50,
OI6. 2S. OF this sum s4S2, 562, 0S3 Al
is directly chargeable to our late war with
Spain, or incident thereto. Deducting this
charge from the whole amount of the ap-
preparations the remainder, Sl,0S4, 321,
632. 81. represents the ordinary or normal
appropriations made by the Fifty fifth
Congress.
The appropriations made by the pre-
ceding Congress. the Fifty fourth, amount
ed to 81 GA, $50, 273, 81. A comparison
shows an increase in ordinary appropra-
tons made by this Congress over those
made BY the Fifty fourth Congress of
Of $50, TAI, 600, 'uuI this apparent increase
is more than accounted for by increases
under eight items alone, namely for pen
sions, 81, 600, eco; for the postal service,
SIG. 600. 900; for rivers and harbors. in
Guiding work under contracts previously
authorized SO. 600, 900; for the new ships
for the navy. Sc. 600. 900; for beginning
the work of the twelfth census. 81 900.
600; for the Paris Exposition, 81 200,
600: for new public buildings, including
the building for the Department of Justice
and for the site aud partial construction OF
the new government printing Offices, about
So, 600, 600. and for payment of Judg-
meuts rendered against the government on
account Of French spoliations and under
the Bowman act, So, 100, 900.
APPARENT INCREASE EXPLAINED
These very natural and necessary in
ereases in public expenditures on account
of the pension list, the growth Of the pos
tai service in response to the demands Of
commerce, the improvement of the great
waterways of the country and for increase
of the navy, the construction Of needed
buildings to accommodate the government
service in the cities Of the country. the
taking ofthe census, the participation ofthe
nation in the great exposition 70 be held
at Paris next year and the payment OF the
French spoliation judgments and Bowman
act claims so long considered in aud pressed
upon Congress, aggregatiug $50, 600, 00o.
more than dissipate the entire apparent IN
crease in the ordinary appropriations BY
this Congress over those made by the Fiji
ty-fourh Congress.
In addition to the direc, appropriations
made at this session contracts were au-
thsrized, subject to future appropriations
to be made by Congress, amounting to
about $40. coo. 600 OF this amount
s44, 600. 600 is for additional ships for the
navy. s22. 500, 600 is for work on rivers
and harboFs, aud over s3. e00, 600 Is for
public buildings The contract system l.
of necessity applied to the construction Of
new warships, which require periods Of
years for their construction. In the case
of river and harbor improvements and the
construction of public buildings experience
has shown that the authorization of con
tracts tends materially to expedite and
cheaper the same
PROM A DEMOCRATIC STANDPOINT.
Mr.. Docksry. of Missouri, the ranking
Democratic member of the House appru-
priations committee, made the following
statement, giving the Democratic view
This Congress easily surpassed all its
predecessors in the stupendous aggregate
of its appropriations. 1t was thought that
the Fifty-first Congress commonly known
as the Billion Dollar Congress, had. IN
point of extravaganza of appropriations,
touched a limit which would not be reached,
or at least surpassed. by any Of it sue
cessors This Congress, however, has far
exceeded the appalling total Of appropri-
ations then made, aud it viii be remem-
bered that the Billion Dollar Congress
was followed by overwhelming disaster to
the Republican party at the ensuing cleo
tion.
Confronted with a war with Spain. re
quiring the imposition Of additional taxa
ton. it is obvious that rigid economy should
have been applied in all other directions to
the expenditure of public money. The
people were willing TO meet all the demands
upon the national treasury made necessary
by the Spanish war, but it is fair to pre-
sumo that they expected their representa-
tiyes. in view of the cheerful disposition
manifested to meet these added burdens,
to limit the ordinary appropriations to the
necessities of wise and economical ad
ministration These expectations have not
been realized.
1.-The result is an actual deficiency in
current revenues, amounting, on the first
of this month, to 500, 1909, 554 so. This
deficiency, as shown by a recent eonserva-
tive estimate by Chairman Cannon, Of the
appropriations committee, will probably
reach s159, 900, 600 on June 30 next
cit is impossible to estimate with alb
solute accuracy the treasury deficiency for
the coming fiscal year The Secretary of
the Treasury, in his annual report, made
=: nooo,,,bar Iaa4 estimated n Mt ahout