The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-03-06

Cannon OF Illinois. the chairman of the
house appropriation committee, sum
ming up the appropriations of the Fifty
hrth congress. shows an aggregate APP
preparation by the entire congress OF
N'566.S9O,Ol6, and for the session Just
closed total OF 1878. COS, 400. with au-
thority for contracts subject TO future
appropriations amounting to $40. OO0. 900.
Chairman Cannon's statement in full
follows:
The appropriations made at the session
OF congress just closed amount approx
mately to $673.6 400, and show an an
parent reduction OF s2l9, ,513. 900 under the
appropriations made at the preceding
session. This Is attributable To the large
expenses occasioned by the war with
Spain that were providing for during the
preceding session.
The entire appropriations made by the
Fifty-fifth congress aggregate 81 .56s.-
S9OOlG. OF this sum S4S2 562. .Os3 is d.
rectly chargeable TO our late war with
Spain or incident thereto. Deducting
this charge from the whole amount of the
appropriations the remainder. 81 ,Os4-
32f,6S2. represents the ordinary or nor
nal appropriations made by the Fifty
fifth congress.
The appropriations made by She pre-
ceding congress. the Fifty-fourth.
amounted to sl,0445S02 27S. A compari-
son shows an increase in ordinary ap-
preparations made by this congress over
those made by that congress, the Fifty
iourth' or S39,41,OO0; but this apparent
Increase is more than accounted for bv
Al afarl,t
ly: For pensions, $4,000 200: for the pos
tai service, $4,000. 900. for rivers and
harbors including work under contracts
previously authorized, $4,000 900: for new
ships for the navy, 5000, 900; for be GIN
ming the work Of the 18th census. 81 900 :
OOO for the Paris exposition. 81 200 900.
Tor new public buildings including the
building for the department OF Justice
and Tor site and partial construction Of
the new government printing office
about S5,OOO,COO; and FOR payment Of
judgments rendered against the govern
ment on account of French spoliations
y ana under the Bowman act So, 100 600
Ihese very natural and necessary in
creaSes IN public expenditures aggregate
s59 eOO-more than dissipating the en-
tire apparent increase IN the ordinary
appropriations by this congress over
those made by the Fifty-fourth con-
gress.
In addition to the direct appropriations
made at this session contracts were an
thorized. subject to future appropria-
tions to be made by congress. amounting
TO about $40 900 900. OF this amount
sii 000 is for additional ships of the |
navy. s22,5o0,0O0 is for work on rivers and |
harbors, and something over $4,000. 600 |
Is for public buildings. The contract !,
system is OF necessity applied to the con- |
struction OF new warships which REQUIRE |
periods OF years for their construction. |
In the case or rivers and harbor improve |
ments and the construction OF public |
buildings experience has shown that the |
authorization OF contracts tend ma
terially to expedite and cheaper the
same.
Mr. Docsery of Missouri. the rank
Ing Democratic member of the house
appropriation committee, made the fol-
lowing statement. giving the eDmocratic
view
This congress easily surpasses all its
predecessors in the stupendous aggre-
gate OF its appropriations 1t was
thought that the Fifty-first congress.
commonly known as the billion dollar
congress-, had, in point of extravagance
OF appropriations. touched n limit which
would not be reached, or at least sur
passed by any of its successors.
This congress. however. has far ex-
rceded the appalling total OF appropria-
tions then made. and il will be remem-
bered that the billion dollar congress
was follow ed by overwhelming disaster
10 the Republican party at the ensuing
election.
Confronted with n war with Spain. re-
curing the imposition OF additional tax
alton. N4s obvious that rigid economy
should have been applied In all other di-
rcctions TO the expenditure OF publiN
money. The people were willing to
meet all the demands upon the national
treasury made necessary by the Spanish
war, but il is fair to presume that they
expected their representatives. In view
OF the cheerful disposition manifested
to meet these burdens, TO limit the ordi-
nary appropriations TO the necessities OF
n wise and economical administration.
These expectations have not been real
tied.
The result IL an actual deficiency in
current revenues amounting on the first
OF this monti -, eco 100 55f5O. This do-
nciency. as SHOWN by recent conserva-
tive estimate by Chairman Cannon of
the appropriation committee. will prob
ably reach S159 000 600 on June 80 next.
1t is impossible to estimate with alb
solute accuracy the treasury deficiency
for the coming fiscal year. The secre-
tary OF the treasury. I'm his annual re-
port. made in December last estimated
st at about ss1 900 OO0 but it is now ap-
parent that 1t will not be less than $780,
100000. II is almost certain therefore.
that the government will be compelled
during the calendar year 1900 to face
an actual treasury deficiency. The
sis2. 600 900 OF income arising from the
sale OF bonds under this administration
and that OF President Cleveland will
then have been exhausted and the treas
yry will pass from the position OF a
borrowed surplus to an actual deficit
Such a condition must be met. either by