The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-03

Increased ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 81
Gasp" Statesmen Combining to
Override the Committes'e Recon-
InendatiOns in the Interest OF
Their Pet Measures.
BY R. NJ Larner.
Washington, Dec. 3 There is
much loud talk at the Cap
itol just now about rigid economy in
public expenditure and a depleted
treasury. Much of this anti-session
chatter arises from the fact that the
House Committee on Appropriations is
at work framing some of the big
money bills which provide for the run
ming expenses of the government.
The Subcommittee in charge of the
Legislative appropriation bill has COM
menced work on that measure, with
view to having it ready for presenta-
ton to the House soon after Congress
reassembles. The bill provides for the
Legislative, executive and judicial
branches Of the public service. 1t will
be observed that the legislative" fea-
ture of the bill comes first. Deficit or
surplus Al Ailt treasury HidheS no Qil-
ference to congressman, when the
Legislative" branch of the govern
ment is under consideration. With
Congress, self-preservation is the first
law of nature"
Demand for Greater Expenditures.
From every branch of the service
comes urgent demands for Increased
force, which means increased expendi-
lures. Before the bill becomes a law
it will probably contain provisions
creating a number of high salaried Of
ficials and a reduction in the force of
scrub women and laborers in some of
the executive departments. The re-
ductive feature will be pointed out as
broad step in the direction of econ
omy in the public service.
Veteran congressman, who have run
the legislative mill for many years,
quietly smile at this annual output of
talk about economy. 1t occurs as
regular as the Christmas festival. The
declarations of the chairman of the
Committee on Appropriations are made
in the same spirit that the head of a
household declares annually that he
proposes to ''cut out" the time-honored
practice of exchanging gifts at Christ
mas time. In the roundup on Christ
the household has made more extrava-
CANT and useless presents than all the
members of his family combined So
II is with the House Committee on
Appropriation, at the end of the ses-
sion it will be found that the little
items in the bill have been slaughtered
but the big schemes, with a strong flaw
or of graft, have survived the legisla-
tive ordeal.
Chance for "Last Gaspers."
The coming session offers great op-
portunlties for log-rolling by last
gasp" statesmen. There are many
men in the present Congress, who
were swept away in the recent political
Hood. 1t is extremely doubtful wheth-
er many of them win ever darken the
door Of the National Legislature again
after the 4th of March next, except
as %EX's." 1t is possible for the Last
Gaspers" to get together and combine
with the friends of liberal appropria-
tions, and override the recommended
tions of the Committee on Appropria-
tons. Men who are about to retire
from Congress mot Voluntarily, lack
the patience TO consider the reduced
condition of the treasury, while the
door Of hope is ajar for some little pet
project they have been nursing ten
derby, but persistently, during many
consecutive sessions. II is a desper-
ate chance. but the Last Gaspers" are
eager to play the hundred to one
shot"