Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-02-12
Special to the Register.

Special to the Register
Washington, D. c., February IL
Uncle Joe CannonI5 speech in the
House on Thursday last was a forci-
BILE reminder to the country that some
body has got to pay the cost of ex-
pansion and that the bill will be a
large one. Never again, in fact, will
the country be on peace footing so
far as expenditures go. 1t is the start
ling truth that the regular annual ex-
penditures of the federal government
in which the war with Spain was
fought. In other words, it will in the
future require in excess of $500,000,0 900
annually to pay the federal bills.
Secretary Cages estimate of the eX-
penditures for 1899, the year for which
Congress is now making appropria-
lions, was $579 000, goo. To this, as Mr..
Cannon pointed out, must be added
the S20,000,000 payment to Spain on ac-
count of THE Philippines, and such
other additions to the estimates as
may be made by Congress, making a
total of $617 100000 as the cost of the
first year of expansion. The second
year of expension, Mr.. Gage estimates,
will cost $541 100000 if one of the cost
Iy projects now before Congress go
through. Let us note some of these.
SOME STARTLING FIGURES.
First comes the Nicaragua canal,
which it is proposed to construct at
government expense at an estimated
cost of $115,000,000; next the Hanna
Payne subsidy BILL which will cost at
least $100OO0,000 in twenty years, or
$4,000, 600 a year; the Pacific cable sub
sidy of 100000 a year for twenty
years; the new naval programme, con-
templating the expenditure of S54 000,-
600 for battleships and cruisers; the
coast defense system. which will alto
gether cost about $5S 900; and last
ly, the claims of American citizens
against Spain assumed by the treaty Of
Paris, which amount So far to some
S25,000,000. Another large increase in
federal expenditure which, however, is
included in Mr.. Cages estimates above
given, is involved in the army reor-
ganization bill, under which the cost If
the military establishment will be not
far from 150,000,000 a year, instead of
less than $25,O0O,OO0, as formerly, a
six-fold increase And it is already
strongly limited that in order to bring
European establishments, it will be
necessary to equip it with the modern
quick firing artillery for which France
and Germany are now expending mil
lions of dollars.
WILL EXCEED TWO BILLIONS.
President McKinley's administration
will be the first since the civil war in
which the expenditures for four years
will exceed $4,000, 900, 900. His will be
the distinction CT having begun the era
of two billion dollars administrations,
for las before stated, the annual eXpen-
ditures of the federal government will
never again fall below $500 000, 900, and
may, in fact, reach $500, 100000. To
illustrate the startling growth of ma
tional expenditure let us compare the
frugal years of Grover Clevelands first
administration with the existing
ir11o Of ncin ba n1
Of four fiscal years from 1885 to 1888
inclusive, the total federal expenditures
were $1,03S, 567 ,05471, not much over
the billion mark for a single admins
tration. During the Harrison admins
tration following, the era of billion
dollar Congresses began.
The increase was kept up during the
second Cleveland administration. With
Mckinley came another expansion in
revenues. For McKinley's four years
the federal expenditures, in part esti-
mated, and certainly not overestimated,
will be as follows:
1897 ..,......... ..............s 365, IA 159 81
1883 (estiimated) ............... 6i7,G00G60 co
1900 (estimated) ............... Sal, 00G coo 90
Total 49,. 81 967, 142, 742 81
ALL FOR FIGHTING STRENGTH.
In ell of these calculations the postal
expenditures, almost wholly offset by
postal revenues, are excluded. For the
future postal expenditures will be APP
proximately s1O0,0O0,OO0 annually.
Thus we may shortly see the total of