The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-17
Recent Statement Shows How
 Enormous Sums Were Spent
GOSSIP FROM WASHINGTON
Prominent Republican Says Little Blame Attaches to p. o. Depart ment In Reference to lnvesti-
 aatlon Now in Progress.
BY wATTERsoN sTEALEY.

Washington, May 16.-A statement of the volume of appropriations, and the creation of offices by the congress just closed. compiled by the clerks of the sen- ate and house appropriation committees, affords an opportunity to obtain in a comprehensive from an insight into the extravaganza of the present administra- ton, and It's ability to spend thousands of dollars without half trying.
 When it is considered that the congress just closed has managed to turn Into the hands of the several departments the gigantic sum of 1.553 6sS, 0O257, it Is rath- CT remarkable that there is only one de- pertinent in which reckless extravagance and mismanagement, to say the least. have become so notorious as to compel an investigation. There is hardly a doubt that other departments call for an inves- tigation as sweeping as the postoffice de- partment affair Is credited with being, but little can be expected in the way of an honest investigation where republican officials holding their places are the in- vestigators. This is especially true in the postoffice department, as Postmaster
 
 the President, and can be depended upon to allow the investigation to go no fur ther than will furnish the administration an opportunity of saying in the next cam paign that charges in this instance have not been ignored. In the end there will be liberal sprinxling of whitewash. No investigation can in the nature of things amount to anything until the opposite party gets a look at the books. Until democratic administration gets in, re- publican administration is not going to publish to the country it's misdeeds and shortcomings.
 Postoffice Investigation.
 With reference to the postoffice depart ment investigation, a prominent republi- can official said this morning that little blame attaches to the postoffice depart ment officials, judging from the evidence so far deduced. He explains by saying that congress made the appropriations, and there was nothing for the depart ment to do but spend the money, rather than turn it back into the treasury This is in a measure true, and clearly empha- sizes the extravaganza of the administra- tion through It's congress. In addition 1t furnishes a weighty argument for a modi- fcation of a tariff law which takes money out of the pockets of the people--money, which far exceeds the legitimate expenses of the government-simply to enrich the tariff protected trusts and at the same time pile up an enormous surplus to be squandered by the officials of the gov ernment because 1t is in the treasury
 Several democratic members of con- gress who have been in Washington re- gently have dwelt upon the importance of getting clearly before the people some idea of the lavish manner in which the republicans dig into the treasury. The defense of Representative Cannon of Illi- nois, the chairman of the last house ap- propriation committee. and the speaker of the next house, Is that this is some- thing over billion-and-a-half-do country. This rejpinder will likely sound well on the stump. but when 1t Is shown that the present postoffice department scandal has been caused largely by the excessive liberality of congress with its appropriations, and the fact that sni- lar conditions exists in other departments the "bilion-and-a alf-dollar-country" cry may not prove as satisfactory to Speaker Cannon and his fellow republi- cans as they would desire.
 Immense Appropriations.
 As above stated the official summary shows the appropriations to have been $1, ,553. 6S3 002.57. Of this amount S753, ,O5S,- 506.02 was appropriated in the last ses- sion.
 The details of the bills passed at the last session are as follows Agriculture, $5,978, 160; army, S7,8SS, ,752.S3; diplomatic and consular, si, ,96S, ,25O96; District of Co., lumbia, $S, S,63S0O7 fortification, $7,1Ss, 416 22; Indian, $S54O, 406.7T; legislative, executive and judicial, s27, 7,59s, 65S.66; military acad- emy, s652. 74s.67; navy. sS1,S76. 791. .43; pen sion, s139, S47 600 post office $153. 511 549 75; sundry civil. $S2,312. 360.10; deficiency, $21,- 465, 66O.25; miscellaneous appropriations, $2, ,941, ,23S.65; permanent appropriations, s182, 5S9, ,S2o; grand total. s753 05s. .506.Q2.
 In addition to the specific appropria- tions made contracts are authorized to be entered Into for certain public works requiring future appropriations by con gress, in the aggregate sum of s36 ss9. .S59.- 34 These contracts cover the following objects and amounts, namely, for;
 Five new first class battleships, two steel ships and one wooden brig for use in training, $20, 426. GOO; boat shop at Puget Sound navy yard, $100000; new naval academy buildings, $2,000.00O; national mu- scum building, 8, ,25O,0O0; Freedman's hos pltal building $25o,OOO; building for com mittee rooms and offices for house of representatives, s3, 100000; building for de- partment of agriculture, $1,25O,000; pub
  S59.34; and bridges, school buildings and sand filtration plants in the District of Columbia, $14eo,ooo; making in all ss6.- 989, ,S59.34.
 Big Reduction Shown.
 A comparison of these contract liabill- ties with those of the first session of the last congress, amounting to $262, 72f, 465, shows a reduction of s225, 721, eos. .66. The amount for the first session included con- tracts for $1s0 900 900 for the construction of the Isthmian canal and s3S. .336, 160 for river and harbor Improvements.
 The new offices and employments spe- officially authorized are 1i31G in number, at an actual compensation of s7, ,927. .63s. .o2; and those abolished or omitted are 1,s15. in number at an actual compensation of s941, 4S1 .24-a net increase of 9.501 in num- Der and $G,9s6,157.7s in amount.
 The number of salaries increased is 341. at an annual cost of s205. .04; and the number reduced is GO. in the sum of sGOO, net increase of 2S1 at cost of $2O4. 602.04
 The total appropriations made by the last congress amounted to $1. .553. .6s3. .O02. 57, an increase over the appropriations of