The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-03-09
THE APPROPRIATION.
ment Showing ExpeRditaRe Of
Money ~ Congress-.

Washington, March 6.-The official
statement of Representative Joseph G.
Cannon (M.), 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 81, 566, 500, 016, and for the ses-
sion just closed total of $673, 65s, 400,
with authority for contracts subject
to future appropriations amounting
to $70,000,000. Chairman Cannon's
statement in full follows:
1.-THE appropriations made at the session
OF congress just closed amount approx
fmately to $67s, 400, and show an ap-
parent reduction of s21s, 57s, 900 under the ap-
preparations made at thepreceding 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-hfth congress aggregate 81. $50, $780,
016.2s. OF this sum $4s2, 5s2 0S3. ~ is directly
chargeable to our late war with Spain or
incident thereto. Deducting this charge
from the whole amount Of the appropria-
tons. the remainder, 81, 0S4, 327 632 81, repre-
sents the ordinary or normal appropria-
lions made by the Fifty-fifth congress.
The appropriations made by the pre-
ceding congress, Fifty-fourth, amounted
TO $l,OA ,273S7. A comparison shows an
increase in ordinary appropriations made
Dy this congress over those made by that
congress, the Fifty-fourth, of $50 IA, 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, SIG 000, 900: for rivers and
harbors, including work under contracts
previously authorized, $1,000 600: for new
ships for the navy, 5000 GOO; for beginning
the work Of the twelfth census, 81 600 COO:
for the Paris exposition, 81. 200. coo: for new
PUBIC buildings, including the building for
the department of justice, and for site and
partial construction of the new government
printing Office, about 5000, COO, and for pay
ment of judgments rendered against the
government On account of French spoIia-
tons and under the Bowman act. Sc. 100 Coo
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 at
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 $50. $780,
0O0-more than dissipating 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
10 be made by congress, amounting to
about $O,OO0,OOO OF this amount $4,000
600 is for additional ships for the navy,
49, 900 is for work on rivers and har-
bors and something over s3,COO.C coo is for
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 to expedite and
cheaper the same"