The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-06
BILLION And A HALF.
Big Appropriations by Fifty.fifth
Congress.
WAR ACCOUNTS FOR NEARLY ONE
HALF BILLION,

Ouusiuc oi Inat Appropfihtions Wero
Little Larger Than Those of 54th
Congress--Other Extraordinary Ea-
penditures More Than Accounts FOE
Increase.
Washington, March 5.-Tbe official
statement of Representative Joseph u.
Cannon of Illinois, the chairman Of tbs
House appropriation COMMITTEES. sum
ming up the appropriations of the 55th
Congress. shows an aggregate appropria-
tion by the entire Congress Of 81, sec, $780,
DIG. He sGys: 1.-THE appropriations made
at the. session of Congress just closed
amount approximately to t673. .65s, 400.
and show an apparent reduction Of s2ie.-
b73, 900 under the appropriations made at
the preceding session. This Is sttribut-
abls to the large expenses oooasioned by
the war with Spain that were provided
for during the preceding session.
The entire appropriations made by the
55th Congress aggregate 81. 566, $50. Ole.
OF this sum s4S2. .5G2, ,0S3 is directly charg-
able to our late war with Spain or Incl
dent thereto. Deducting this charge from
the remainder, 81, Os4. 4s7. .6l3, represents
the ordinary or nominal appropriations
made by the 55th Congress- The appro.
priatious made by the proceeding Con-
gress, the 54th, amounted to 81 l,044,tso,-
273. ~
A comparison shows an increase in or
dinary appropriations made by this Con-
gress over those made BY that Congress,
the 54th, $50, IA, 900; but this apparent
increase is more than accounted for by
increases under eight items alone, name-
ly: For pensions, "a, OoO, 600; for the postal
service, SIG. .O0o, 900; for rivers and harbors
including work under contracts previous.
ly authorized, "a, 900, coo; for new ships
for the navy. %, 600, 900; for beginning the
work Of the twelfth census, $1,000, 600;
for the Paris exposition, sl.20o.00O; for
new putlic!buildings including the build
ing for the department ..of justice and for
site and partial construction of the new
government printing office about So. 000,-
00( and for payment of judgments rem
dered against the government on account
of French spoliation and under the Bow
man act, SO, 100, ,000 These very natural
4
aud necessary increases in public expen-
ditures aggregate $50. 600, ,OOo-more than
dissipating the yentire apparent incre So
in the ordinary appropriations by this
Congress over those made by the 81 Con-
gress. In addition to the direct appropri-
ations made at this session contracts were
authorized. subject to future appropria-
tions to be made by Congress amounting
to about S70,O00,OO0 OF this amount
S44, 600. coo is for additional ships of the
navy, s2a, 500, 900 IS for work on rivers
and harbors and something over 81, ,o00, 900
| is for public buildings
MIR. Dockery of Missouri. the ranking
Democratic member Of the House appro-
priations committee in a statement about
the appropriations says: 'The reckless
improvidepce of the outgoing Congress
will 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 i'm
posed by riotous appropriations.