The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-03-10
WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY.
Reckless lmprovidence of the Outgo.
ing Congress.

washington, MdTcn 0.-Ine Official
statement Of Representatives Joseph
g. Cannon Of Illinois. the chairman
OF the House appropriations commit.
tee, summing up the appropriations
OF the FIfty-hfth Congress-, shows an
aggregate appropriations by the en-.
tire Congress of 81. 500, 800, 0l6, and for
the session Just closed ii total OF 1878.
65S, 400, with authority for contracts
subject TO future Appropriations
amounting to $4,000, 900. Chairman
Cannon's statement in full follows:
THE appropriations made at the
session OF Congress just closed amount
approximately to $685. 5 400, and
show an apparent reduction of $2l9,-
$751; 0 under the appropriations made
at che proceeding Session.
"This is attributable to the large
expenses Occasioned by the war with
Spain that were provided for during
the preceding session.
THE entire appropriations made by
the Fifty.lfth Congress aggregate 81
$50. 800, 0l6.2S. or this sum $4S22, 562,-
0S3.47 is directly chargeable to our
late wal with Spain, or incident there
to. Deducting this charge from the
whole amount Of the appropriations,
the remainder, $l,084, 327. $50 81, re-
presents the ordinary or normal ap-
preparations made by the FifLy-ifth
Congress. ,s
The appropriations made by the
preceding Congress, the Fifty fourth
amounted to $l,044, $50, 273 81. A com.
paris0n shows an increase in ordinary
appropriations made by this Congress
over those made by that Congress,
the Fiity-fourth, OF $3.50, IA, 900, but
this apparent Increase is more than
accounted for by increase under eight
items alone, namely: For pensions
$4,000, 900, for the postal service $l6,-
100000, for rivers and harbors, includ-
ing work under contracts previously
authorized, $500. 900; for new ships
for the navy $4,000 00, for beginning
the work Of the twelfth census 81. 00O,-
600, for the Paris Exposition 81, 200,-
900. for new public buildings, includ-
ing the building for the Department
of Justice and for site and partial
construction Of the new government
printing Office, about 5000, 900, and
for payments or judgments rendered
against the government on account OF
French s%politations and under the
Bowman act So, 100, 900. These very
natural and necessary increases in
pubic expenditures, on account Ofthe
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 increase OF the navy. the conStruc-
ton OF needed buildings To accommo-
date the government service IN the
cities IF the country, The taking of
the census, the participation of the
nation in the great Exposition TO be
held at Paris next year, and the pay
ment Of the French spoliation judy
mentS and Bowman act cases, so long
considered by and pressed upon Con-
gress, aggregating S39, SOC, 000-more
than the apparent increase In the Or
binary appropriations by this Congress
over those made by the Fifty-fourth
Congress. I'm addition to the direct
appropriations made ut this session,
contracts were authorized, subject to
future appropriations to be made by
Congress, amounting to about $40, 000-
600. or this amount $44, 600, 900. is for
additional ships for the navy, $22, 500,-
600 Is for the work on rivers and har-
bOrS, and something over SO, 000, 600
IS for public buildings. The contract
Is Of necessity applied to the conStruc-
tiOn OF new warships. which require
periods Of years for their construction.
In the case of rivers and harbors i'm
prOvements and the construction of
public buildings, experience has
shown that expiration of contracts
tends to materially cheaper the
same"