The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-03-14
NEARLY A BILLION And A HALF.
Heavy Expenses of Government For
the Past Year.

Washington. D. c.. Special.-Rep'e-
sentative Cannon, chairman OF the
House committee on appropriations,
and Representative Livingston, the
senior Democratic member OF the COM
mittee, have prepared statements OF the
appropriations CT the Fifty-sixth Con-
gress, which will be printed in The
Congressional Record. Both place the
total appropriations for the Congress
at s1,440, ,O62, ,545, placing those for the
frs; session at s71O,150S62 and for the
second at s729.911,6 ,6S3. Mr.. Cannon
publishes a table showing the expendi-
lures CT the previous Congress at 81
56S.2l2,637 and Mr.. Livingston makes
a comparison with the Fifty-fourth
Congress. which appropriated S1.O4i,-
5S0.273. In his statement. Mr. Can
non says:
"Of the total appropriations made
at this session, at least 100000 900 Will
not in the light of past experiences. ue
expended. This considerable margin
between actual expenditures and ap-
propriG;ions made by Congress in
dica;ed a sum total Of expenditures
during the fiscal year -902 OF not eS-
cecding S699. .911 .6S3.07. This sum in
cludes s53.0G0.G00 on account OF the
sinking fund requirements for the iis-
cal year 1902. which, Of course, under
the terms Of the law, will be met only
to such extert as surplus revenues IN
the Treasury may permit. After meet
ing the fullest ordinary requirements
of the public service under The appro-
priations which have been made there
will surely remain sufficient revenue
for 1902 to inset not less than S3O,OOO,-
900 of the requirements CT the sinking
fund.-
"The most marked increase indicat-
ed in the appropriations for ordinary
expenses of the government made Tor
the two years 1903 az the two sessions
or this Congress over these Of the Two
preceding years. 1899 and 1900, provid-
ed for by the Flfty-fifth Congress, is
for the postal service. The necessity
OF these increased appropriations to
meet large business demands is re-
ferred to as a cause for congratula-
ton. The appropriations have been
reduced $12S,150.000 by this Congress
under those provided for by it's prede-
cessor and this has rendered possible 4
reduction of taxes the sum Of SAL
900, 900. With a continuance Of the
wise administration enjoyed by the
country there is every reason to anti
cipata further reduction OF public
expenditures in the near future and a
corresponding further reduction Of
taxes"
Mr.. Livingston says: The Fifty
fourth Congress was the last one that
made appropriations for the support
Of the government prior to the re-
ginning of the Spanish-American war.
The Fifty-sixth Congress is the first
Congress appropriating for the sup
port of the government since the close
of the so-called Spanish-Amerlcan
war. The difference bstwean the aD-
preparations ma5e by the Fifty-sixth
Congress and thcse made by the Fifty
fourth Congress amounts to 1895, 49,
272.
During the session JUS. closed the
demands Of the people. through their
representatives, for the construction o.
the Nicaragua Canal have gone un.
Needed and those for new public pui'd-
ings have been persistently denied. The
river and harbor bill has bean permit
ted to fail. The payment Of just claims
Of honest people against the govern.
ment has not been provided for.
"The. most casual eXaminau OF
this table makes comment practically
unnecessary. 1t shows that the army
for each Of the two years prior to The
Spanish American war cost a little
over $4,000 900 and but little more
than SAG 6,OO0.000 for the two years cov-
cred by the Forty-fourth Congress.
while for each OF the two years since
that war. 1901 ami 1902, it costs S115..
000, 900 or s230.O 0,OO0 for the two
wears. exclusive of deficiencies thai
have BEEN provided for in large sums
out of appropriations maze for eX-
penseS of the Spanish war during the
Fifty-ffth Congress. The navy cost
for the two years. 1898. is S6S,362,-
600. while the years 1901 and 1892 these
appropriations amount to nearly Sl4i'
o00.O For the payment of pensions
the appropriations show an increase o.
nearlv sS. 600 600 for she two yeas.