The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-10
CANNON THROWS A BOMB
The Canal Bill Cannot Pass This
Session.
AN ENORMOUS DEFICIT
War Taxes Must Be Kept Up for Two
Years More-The Marine Subsidy
= Bill Is Doomed-More Bonds
the Alternative.

Washington, Feb. Chairman Cam
non of the appropriations committee of
the house. in the course of general de-
bate on the sundry civil bill to-day,
sounded a note Of warning against ex-
travagant appropriations. and particu-
larly served notice thai neither the ship
subsidy bill nor the Nicaragua canal
bill could be passed at this session. Al
though he specifically disclaimed speak
ing for any one but himself the staEe-
ments he made, coming from the chair
man of the appropriations committee,
caused great interest. Mr.. Cannon
made a statement of the expenditures
and revenues for the present fiscal year,
increasing Secretary Cages estimate of
the deficiency In the revenues from
SLIP 900, 900 to s159,oOo0OO. exclusive #
the $40, ,O00,00 to- be paid to Spain Lnder
the provisions of the treaty Of Paris.
Mr. Grosvenor of Ohio, Mr.. Hepburn
of Iowa and w. "A. Smith of Michigan,
although they did not enter into any
lengthy discussion took issle with Mr..
Cannon, but he maintain Il that our
revenues might be sufficient to meet our
expenditures for the next two years If
needless expenditures We're not entered
into. He indicated that 1t would he a
close margin and that new expenditures
might mean bond issue. Mr.. Cannon's
speech was in every way a notable one
and doubtless will furnish the text fer
a good deal of discussion during the
remainder of the session.
AT the opening of the session of the
house to-day a bill to amend the war
revenue act was passed providing that
when bond or note was secured by
mortgage but one stamp should be af-
fixed of a higher rate due on either in
strument Among other bills passed
was one granting railways right of way
through the Nez Perces reservation in
Idaho; to grant to Boulder. Colo, 500
acres of land in the mountains for a
park; to remove Hsa, visiting disability
OF confederates presenting them from
sitting on federal petit and grand juries
(this was the last of the political dis
abilities of x-confederates to be re-
moved, and for the relief of the heirs
of the late Edward de Leon, deceased,
late consul general to Egypt.
At O'Clock the regular order was
demanded. The pending question COM
ing over from yesterday was the pass
age of the bill appropriating $125.ooO Tor
a public building at Altoona, Pa. The
bill was passed.
The Blair City Neb., public building
BILL the reading of an engrossed copy
of which was demanded yesterday, vas
read and passed, 104 to so.
The house then went into committee
of the whole and took up the conside-a-
ton of the sundry civil appropriation
bill Mr.. Cannon, rep, Ill.,, in. charge
of the measure. made general analy-
sis of what is contained. 1t carries
$62 928, ,1O1 but $20,000,000 is for payment
to Spain to carry out the provisions of
the Paris treaty. Exclusive of that the
bill carries SIS. O95, 1888 less than the esti-
mates and $500, 81 less than the cur
rent law.
In connection with the bill Mr.. Can
non made a general statement as to the
condition of the revenues. The secre-
tary of the treasury in October lass,
Mr Cannon said had estimated the de-
ficiency of the revenues for the fiscal
year ending July l, 1899, to be Sill ,0oO,-
600, or a monthly average of 9,353, 900.
In his Judgment. in the light of receipts
and expenditures for the first seven
months thus estimated, the deficiency
was much too low The actual deficiency
UP to Feb /, 1899, was 1893, 151 ,000 an
average of sl3,3O 900 per month AT
this rate the deficiency of the fiscal year
would be $3.50 100000. But this would
not include the $20,000,000 provided by
the bill to carry out the provision of The
Paris treaty. The cash balances in the
treasury on Feb. /, including the $780,
900, 600 gold reserve, was $274, 4,00O,000. Two
hundred millions of that had been put
into the revenues by the war loan. De-
ducting the monthly estimated deficien-
cy for the next five months there would,
he said, be in the treasury July !. $685.
00D, 600 This was conservative esti-
mate There would be, therefore, $1o3,-
600, 600 to meet the ordinary expenses CT
the government on that date. These
figures, he continued, took no account
of the sinking fund.- To care for it
would require S53,000,00O additional. As
Mr.. Cannon proceeded the most intense
interest was manifested in his state
nents The secretary of the treasury
estimated the expenditures for the next
fiscal year, exclusive of the sinking
fund, he said at s64l, 100000 and the
revenues at S6l0000,000, or a deficit OF
$31 1000, 900. Yet, Mr.. Cannon continued,
Secretary Sage could not possibly have
foreseen in his estimates for 1900 the
changed conditions which followed the
negotiations of the peace treaty, the OK
penditures naturally following our oc-
cupation of the Philippines and the obli-
cations which we assumed in the peace
treaty to discharge the claims against
Spain, which claims. he understood, al
ready reached $25.000,000. Neither did
the secretary's estimate, he said, take
into considera ton the increase of the
navy. 1t estimated not only for the CT
binary maintenance of the navy, but
the naval committee would report in its
bill provision for from II to Is battle
ships and cruisers. He did not COM
plain. 1t was logical sequence. The
army must be increased 1t was, there
fore, the part of wisdom and common
prudence to realize fully the conditions
which confronted us.
With these enormous expenditures
upon us, Mr.. Cannon said, We must
plant our footsteps with care and to see
that no dollar goes out of the treas
ury except for an efficient public ser
vice.
DO you take into account in your
estimate" Interrupted Mr. Dockery,
dem, Mo. the Hanna-Payne subsidy
bill?"
MIR. Cannon replied that he did not
include in his calculation of a defici-
ency of Sl59000,0 900 either the legislation
for an efficient merchant marine or the