The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-06
AN ENORMOUS DEFICIENCY
Appropriations OF the Billion Dollar Con-
gress" Far Surpassed by the Ri
otous Expenditures OF the
Present Body.

priation by the entire congress of
$1,566, S9O,O16. and for the session just
closed total of $673.65S, 200, with au-
thority for contracts subject to future
appropriations amounting to $50, 600, OOO
Chairman Cannons statement in full
follows:
THE appropria tions made at the ses-
sion of congress just closed amount ap-
proximately to 1878 1858, 400, and show
an apparent reduction of $219, ,571 900 un-
der the appropriations made at the pre-
ceding session. This is attributable to
the large expenses occasioned by the
war with Spain that were provided for
during the preceding session. The en-
tire appropriations made by the Fifty
fifth congress aggregate 81 $3.50, 800, ,016.2s.
OF this sum $4S2, ,5620SS is directly
chargeable to our late war with Spain
or incident thereto. Deducting this
charge from the whole amount of the
appropriations, the remainder, 81, ,0S4,-
327, ,632.S1 represents the ordinary or
normal appropriations made by the
Fifty-fifth congress.
THE appropriations made by the pre-
ceding congress, the Fifty-fourth,
amounted to $1,044. $50, ,273.S7. COM
parison shows an increase in ordinary
appropriations made by this congress
over those made by that congress. the
Fifty-fourth. of s39, TAI ,0OO but this APP
parent increase is more than accounted
for by increases under eight items
alone, namely, for pensions, 100000
for the postal service, sl6,000.000: for
rivers and harbors, including work un-
der contracts previously authorized.
50 100000: for new ships for the navy,
Sc, 900; for beginning the work of the
18th census. s1,000. 900; for the Paris eX-
position, 81, 200, 600; for new public build
I ings including the building for the de-
partment of justice and for a site and
partial construction of the new govern
ment printing office, about $5,000,000:
and for payment of judgments rendered
| against the government on account of
the French spoliation on account of the
Bowman act, $3100,000. The very nat
| ural necessary increases in public eX-
penditures on account of the pension
list. the growth of the postal service
in response to the demands of COM
1aerce, the improvement of the great
waterways of the country and for the
increase of the navy, the construction
of needed buildings to accommodate
the government service in the cities of
the country; the taking of the census,
l. the participation of the nation in the
great exposition to be held at Paris
next year and the payment of the
Spolldtioh anu liz
Bowman act cases so long considered
| by and pressed upon congress. aggre-
gate $39 900, ,000-more than dissipating
| the entire apparent increase in the ordi
nary appropriations by this congress
| over those made by the Fifty-f fourth
| congress.
I'm 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 $70000,000. OF this
amount $44,000,000 is for additional
| ships for the navy. $22, 100000 is for
| work on rivers and harbors and some
| thing more than $4,000. 900 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 the river and haThor improve
| ments and the construction of public
buildings, experience has shown that
| the authorization of contracts tends
| materially to expedite and cheaper the
same"
Mr.. Dockery of Missouri. the ranking
democratic member of the house appro-
priations committee, made the follow
ing statement, giving the democratic
view:
"This congress easily surpasses all its
| predecessors in the stupendous aggre-
r
thought that the Fifty-first congress,
commonly known as the billion dollar
congress- had in point of extravaganza
of appropriations touched a limit which
would not be reached or at least sur
passed by any of its successors.
This congress, however, has far ex-
ceeded the appalling total of appropria
tions there made, and it will be remem-
bered that the lion-dollar congress
was followed by overwhelming disaster
to the republican party at the ensuing
election.
Confronted with a war with Spain,
requiring the imposition of additional
taxation. it is obvious that rigid econo-
my should have been applied in all other
directions to the expenditure of public
money. The people were willing to meet
all the demands upon the national treas
ury made necessary by the Spanish war.
but 1t is fair to presume that they eX
pected their representatives. in view of
the cheerful disposition manifested to
meet these added burdens, to limit the
ordinary appropriations to the necessi-
ties of wise and economical admins
tration. These expectations have not
been realized.
THE result is an actual deficiency In
current revenues amounting, on the
first of this month, to $99, ,109, ,554.50 This
deficiency, as shown by a recent con-
servative estimate by Chairman Can
non of the appropriations committee,
will probably reach s159,O00000 on the
30th of June next.
1T is impossible to estimate with alb
solute accuracy the treasury deficiency
for the coming fiscal year. The secre-
tary of the treasury in his annual re-
port, December last, estimates it at
about $31, 100000, but it is now apparent
that it will not be less than s100, 000,0 900.
1t is almost certain. therefore, that the
government VIII be compelled during
the calendar year 1900 to face an actual
| treasury deficiency. The s462, 900 900 of
income arising from the sale of bonds
under this administration and that Of
President Cleveland will then have been