The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-03-10

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souri,, the ranking democratic mem
ber OF the house appropriation com
mittee, has made the folrowing
statement
This congress easily surpasses ali
Its predecessors in the stupendous
aggregate OF its appropriations. II
was thought that the fifty-frst con
gress, commonly known as the bill
lion dollar congress, had, in point
OF extravaganza Of appropriations
touched the limit which would no,
be reached, or at least surpassed, by
any OF its successors.
This congress, however, has fal
exceeded the appalling total appro
lpriations then made, and it will be
remembered that the billion dollar
congress was followed by an over
whelming disaster to the republican
party at the ensuing election.
Confronted with the war with
Spain, requiring the imposition OF
additional taxation, 1T is obvious that
rigid economy should have been APP
piled in all other directions to the
expenditure Of public money.
People are willing to meet all the
demands upon the national treasury
made necessary by the Spanish war,
but 1t Is fair to presume that they
expected their representatives, in
view Of the cheerful disposition
manifested to meet these added
burdens, to limit the ordinary APP
preparation, to the necessities OF
wise and economical administration
These expectations have not bee n
realized. The result is an actual
deficiency in the current revenues
amounting on the first of this Month
to 500, l09 ,554. 80. This deficiency
as shown by recent conservative
estimate by Chairman Cannon Of the
appropriations committee, will prob
ably reach S159, 900, 900 by June
30, next.
1t is impossible to estimate with
absolute accuracy the treasury de-
lfciency for the coming fiscal year
The secretary of the treasury in hi-
annual report made in Decembel
last estimated it at about $3l 900,
900. 1t is almost certain, there
fore, that the government will b'
compelled during the calendar yea
1900 to face an actual treasury de
lficiency.
Four hundred and sixty-two mil
lions of income arising from the sale
of bonds under this administration
and that of Cleveland will have beer
exhausted and the treasury will pass
from a condition of borrowed surplus
to an actual deficit. Such a con
d ton must be met, either by ths
issue Of treasury certificates, or by
an additional bond issue.
Notwithstanding this deplorable
treasury condition, which has been
called over and over again to the at
tention of congress and the country
appropriations have been made
which in many cases have not been
warranted by the interests of the
public service or which if proper in
themselves, should have been post
poled until the rational income
should be ample to meet all its liza
bilities without the necessity of bond
issues.
The appropriations of the original
billion dollar congress- amounted
to 81 ,035, $50, ,109.9 "a. The appro
priations of the congress just ended
reached the mighty aggregate of 81, +
566 ,S90,016 IS. 1t is fair to de
duct from this total 1882 ,562 ,cS3
AZ necessary to meet the liabilities
of the Spanish war. SO if we deduct
from the grand total the liabilities
on account of the war with Spain,
it appears that the appropriations
for the ordinary expenses Of gov
ernment are 81 ,0S4 1877 ,932 81. The
appropriations of congress just end
ed to meet the ordinary expenses
exceed those of the preceding con-
gr.ss by $50, ,9i7 ,65S "a.
Not only this, but the contract Ii
abilities authorized by congress just
expired for new ships and their arm
ament, public buildings, rivers aud
harbors, miscellaneous items amount
to $10,602 ,524. If, therefore, 10
the ordinary appropriations is add
ed the liabilities on account OF these
authorized contracts, it is certain
that the appropriations amount to
the tremendous total of 81 l54 $50,
456 81.
These increased appropriations
have gone for the French spoiIation
claims, public buildings, rivers and
harbors, Bowman act claims, hun
dreds Of other projects, some mer-
itorious but many Of them not en-
titled to recognition by the national
government. In nearly every