The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-08
TO HOLD DOWN
The ESTIMATES
PHILIPPINES ARE COSTLY.
MILLIONS SPENT THERE AND MOTH
ING COMING BACK.

Government Expenditures Mt Home
to BE Curtailed-Army and Navy
Appropriations VIII Suffer ana
Expenditures for River and HAIR
Dor improvements and Public
buildings to BE Kept Down to the
Lowest Notch.
By r. NJ. Larner.
washington, Sept. 7.-"There will be
a big cut in the annual estimates for
the next fiscal year" remarked Il
prominent government official, in reply
TO an official inquiry relative to an i'm
portant naval project.
"Orders have been issued, through
out the various department." added the
official, ito withhold the estimates in
our annual reports until they are boil
ed down by the Secretary. We are
not permitted, as usual, to give out our
estimates for publication, for the rea-
son that our estimates are so far in ex-
cess of our revenues as to make the
comparison injurious to the administra-
ton"
Spending Too Much in Philippines.
The fact is" continued the official,
1--WE are spending too much money in
the Philippines. We are spending mil
lions of dollars out there, not dollar
of which comes back to us. The re-
suit is we have got to curtail our ex-
penditures all along the line to try and
overcome the constantly growing deficit
in our revenues. The army and navy
appropriations will suffer, the expendi-
lures for river and harbor improve
ments, and the construction of public
buildings are to be held down to the
lowest notch for the present"
Was Kept Quiet.
This information has been carefully
guarded in administration circles for
some time past, for it might be mag
nified and distorted for political effect
1t is at this period of the year that the
various departments prepare their an
nual reports to Congress and submit
their estimates for appropriations de-
sired during the next fiscal year. The
reports are practically completed and
the estimates made UP. 1t is under
stood the estimates have been made
upon the same liberal scale which has
prevailed during the past few years.
The greatest increases appear to be in
connection with the army and the
navy.
1t is said that the total amount of
the estimates, if given out at this time,
would throw the advocates of rigid
economy into spasms. The great diff
ficulty in the cutting down process is
where to begin. In the meantime the
daily financial statement of the Treas
ury becomes a subject of vital interest.
japanese Democrat.
Mr.. Takahira, the Japanese minis
ter, has this summer developed into the
most Democratic member of the dip
lomatic corps, since the days of the
late Lord Pauncefote, or former Min
lister WI of China.
Mr.. Takahtra and the full force of
the Japanese legation has remained on
duty in Washington since the Japa-
nese-Russian War began. The Japa-
nese minister is a daily visitor at the
War, Navy and State departments, and
1t is frequent occurrence to see him
guiding a swiftly moving automobile
about the city by day, and later on the
speedway or suburban drives.
Al the Japanese legation on N street
he has adopted the Mckinley map sys-
TEN of following the Japanese Russian
War. In his private office he has a
large map of the war zone by which
he keeps track of the NOV ements of
the contending armies, according to
the confidential information he daily
receives by cypher. He not only keeps
himself informed as to the movements
OF the Japanese and Russian forces,
but he knows the ship movements of
all the naval powers in the Far East.
Talks About the War.
Mr.. Takahira is not averse to mix
ing up with the business men down
town during the day, and he can
adapt himself to a hurry-up luncheon
on the stand UP and receive style
without sacrificing his diplomatic dig
hlty. He will discuss the pending war
without apparent reserve, but when
the interview is over the listener has
not been made the recipient of any
Japanese war secrets.
The Japanese minister seems to de-
rive as much pleasure from his auto
mobile as Lord Pauncefote did from
ms bicycle. 1t is with a smile of su-
preme satisfaction that Mr. Takahira
SITS back in his machine and let's it
90 right up to the speed limit. He
is not at all selfish and he is usually
accompanied on his spins by one or
more of his many friends. Occasion
ally he goes out to the ball park to
see a game of baseball but he derives
more sport from his automobile than
from American field ea0ops