The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-03-16
BOTH SIDES
On the Billion and a Half
Appropriation.

ASHiNGrOS, u. ~, Mar. J.-ihe ohhCi"
statement OF Representative Joseph &
NCannon, of Illinois, the chairman of the
House Appropriations Committee, sum
ming up the appropriations of the Fifty
fifth Congress, shows an aggregate appro'
p~riation by the entire Congress of 81 ,166,-
S90,OI6 aud, for the session just closed 4
total of $673,G5S 400, with authority fol-
contracts, subject to future appropriations
amounting to $40, 600 600. Chairman Can
non SAYS:
This is attributable to the large ex-
penses occasioned by the war with Spain
that we're provided for during the proceed
ing session.
The entire appropriations made by the
Fifty-ffth Congress aggregate 81 ,566,oJO,-
Ol6.2S. OF this sum $4S2, 562, OS3.47 is
directly chargeable to our late war with
Spain or incident thereto. Deduct this
charge from the whole amount of tie APP
propriations, the remainder, 81 ,OS4, 327,-
632. 81, represents the ordinary or normal
appropriations made by the Fi.ty-hith
Congress.
''The appropriations made by the pre-
ceeding Congress, the tIfty-fourth,
amounted to 81 ,0ll, 5S0,273.s7. A COM
parison shows an increase in ordinary
appropriations made by this Congress
over those made by that Congress, the
Fifty fourth, of $39, ~ 600; but this APP
parent increase il more than accounted
for by increases under eight items alone,
namely, for pensions, $4,000 900; for the
postal service, $4,000, 900; for rivers and
harbors, including work under contracts
previously authorized, $4,000, 600; for new
ships for the navy, $4,000, 900; for begin
ming the work of the twelfth census,
81, 100000; for the Paris Exposition, ST.
200, 900; for new public buildings, includ-
ing the building for the Department OF
Justice, and for site and partial construc-
ton Of the new Government Printing
Office, about $4,000, 900. and for payment
of judgments rendered against the Gov.
eminent on account of French spoliations
and under the Bowman act, SO, 100, 900.
These very natural aud necessary increases
in public expenditures, on account OF the
pension list, the growth of the postal
service in response to the demands of
commerce, the improvement of the great
waterways of the country, and for in
crease of the navy, the construction of
needed buildings to accommodate the
Government service in the cities Of the
country, the taking of the census, the
participation of the nation in the great
exposition to be held in Paris next year,
and the payment Of the French spoliation
judgments aud Bowman act cases so long
considered by and pressed upon Congress,
aggregate $39, 0OO, OOO-more than dissi-
pating the entire apparent increase in the
ordinary appropriations by this Congress
over those made by the Fifty-fourth Con-
gross.
"ln addition to the direct appropri-
atoms made at this session, contracts
we're authorized, subject to future appro-
priations to be made by Congress, amount
ing to about $40, GOO, 900. OF this amount,
50 600, 900 is for additional ships for the
navy, $22, 500 900 Is for work on rivers and
harbors, and something over $4,000, 600 is
for public buildings. The contract sys-
TEN is of necessity applied to the con-
struction Of new warships, which require
periods Of years for their construction.
In the case Of river and harbor improve
ments and the construction Of public
buildings, experience has shown that the
authorization Of contracts tends materially
expedite and cheaper the same"
THE DEMOCRATIC STATEMENT.
Mr.. Dockery, of Missouri, the ranking
Democratic member Of the House Appro-
priations Committee, in a statement, Civ
ing the Democratic view, said:
This Congress easily surpasses all its