River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-03-09
THE APPROPRIATION.
Chairman Cannon Presents state
mcnt showing Expenditure of
Money by Congress.

Washington, March 6.-The official
statement of Representative Joseph G.
Cannon Qll), the chairman of the
house appropriations committee, sum-
ming up the appropriations of the
Fifty-ffth congress, shows an aggre-
gate appropriation by the entire con
gress of S1,586, s9o,0l6, and for the ses-
sion just closed a yotal of $673, 65S 400,
with authority for contracts subject
to future appropriations amounting
to $4,000 00o. Chairman Cannon's
statement in full follows:
THE appropriations made at the session
of congress just closed amount approx
imately to S673 65s AGO. and show an APP
parent reduction of $2l9. 573 600 under the APP
propriations made at theprecedins session.
Ills 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
Ftfty-hfth congress aggregate 81, 900, 500 =
0l6.2S. or this sum SiS2, $50. 0S3.4 a Is directly
chargeable to our late war with Spain or
incident thereto Dcducting this charge
from the whole amount of the approprta-
tions, the remainder, 81, 0S4. 327 $50 81, repre-
sents the ordinary or normal appropria-
tons made by the Ftfty-fifth congress
The appropriations made by the pre-
ceding congress. F'ifty-fourth, amounted
to 81. 044 ,5SO,273S7 A comparison shows an
increase in ordinary appropriations made
by this congress over those made by that
congress, the Fiftyfourth, of $39 TAI 600; but
this apparent increase is more than ac-
counted for by increases under eight items
alone, namely for pensions, $1,000, COO; for
the postal service S16 900. 600; for rivers and
harbors, including work under contracts
previously authorized. $3,6O0,0OO; for new
ships for the navy, $1,000 coo; for beginning
the work of the twelfth census $1,000, 600:
for the Paris exposition, 81 100000; for new
public buildings. including the building for
the department of justice, and for site and
partial construction of the new government
printing office, about $4,000, 600, and for pay
ment of judgments rendered against the
government on account of French spola-
lions and under the Bowman act, 50 100000
These very natural and necessary increases
in public expenditures, on account of the
pension list, the growth of the postal serv-
ice In response to the demands of com
merce, the Improvement of the great
| waterways of the country, and for increase
| of the navy, the construction of needed
| buildings to accommodate the government
| service in the cities of the country, the TAX
| ing of the census, the participation of the
nation In the great exposition to be held al
| Paris next year, and the payment of the
| French spoliation judgments and Bow
| man act cases SO long considered by and
| pressed upon congress, aggregate $39 $780,
! 0OO-more than dissipatng the entire ap-
| parent increase in the ordinary appropria'
| tons by this congress over those made by
| the Fifty-fourth congress.
| In addition to the direct appropriations
/ made at this session, contracts were au-
/ thorized, subject to future appropriations
/ to be made by congress, amounting t
/ about $70,O000O0. OF this amount, $4,000,
| 900 is for additional ships for the navy
! $22,500,000 is for work on rivers and har.
! bors and something over 100000 is fol
| public buildings The contract system is Of
| necessity applied to the construction Of
| new warships, which require periods Of
! years for their construction. In the case
/ of river and harbor improvements and The
| construction of public buildings, experience
! has shown that the authorization of con
! tracts lends materially 10 expedite anC
! cheapen the same