The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-03-08
GREAT SUMS OF MONEY EXPENDED.
WORK OF CONGRESS.
More Than Billion and Half Appropriated
Five Hundred Million chargedto
the War With Spain.

The official statement of Represent
ative Joseph @. Cannon of Illinois,
chairman of the house appropriations
committee. summing up the appropria-
tions OF the Fifty-hfth congress when
adjourned last Saturday, is as follows:
"The appropriations made at the ses-
sion of congress just closed amount
approximately to S5i365S, 400, and show
an apparent reduction of S2l9,ot5VOO
under the appropriations made at the
preceding session. This is attributed
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-hfth congress aggregate ST.
566, 500, ,Ol6.2S. OF this sum SS2, ,562,OSSi
is directly chargcable TO our late war
with Spain or incident thereto. Deduc-
ing this charge from the whole amount
of the appropriations, the remainder,
81, 1,0Si ,327 682.Sl, represents the ordinary
or normal appropriations made by the
Fifty-hfth congress.
"The appropriations made by the
preceding congress, the Fifty-fourth,
amounted to $l,0i4, $50, 2I3Sf. n COM
parison shows an increase in ordinary
appropriations made by this congress
over those made by that congress, the
Fifty-fourth of S30, ,747 900. but this APP
parent increase is more than accounted
for by increases under eight items
alone. namely, for pensions, A,0OO,O0O;
for the postal service. Sl6,OOOOOO; for
rivers and harbors, including work un-
der contracts previously authorized,
SO 3,6000 600; for new ships foD the navy
$4,000 900; for beginning the work of the
twelfth census. $l000,000: for the Paris
exposition. 100000; for new public
buildings, including the building for
hn ,.tv nf In Ice
and partial construction of the new
government printing office, about $780,
900, and for payment of judgments
rendered against the government on
account of French spoliatlons and un-
der the Bowman act. S3,10O,OOO.
"The very natural and necessary in
oreases in public expenditures, on ac-
count of the pension list, the growth
of the postal service in response TO the
demands of commerce, the improve
ment of the great water ways of the
country. and for increase of the navy,
the construction of needed buildings
to accommodate the government serv-
ice in the cities of the country, the talk
ing 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 1udg-
ments and Bowman act cases so long
considered by and pressed upon con-
gress, aggregate $39. 900, ,000-more than
dissipating the entire apparent increase
in the ordinary appropriations by this
congress over those made by the Fifty
fourth congress.
"In addition TO the direct appropria-
tions made at this session contracts
were authorized subject to future ap-
propriations to be made by congress,
amounting to about $4,000 900. OF this
amount, S44, 100000 Is for additional
ships for the navy, S22. 100000 is for
work on rivers and harbors, and some
thing over $3.000,000 is for public build
ings. The contract system is of neces-
sity applied to the construction of new
warships, which require periods of
years for their construction.
I'm the case of river and harbor i'm
provements and the construction Of
new warships experience has shown
that the authorization of contracts
tends materially to expedite and
cheaper the same"