Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-08
MUST REDUCE DEFICIT,
Speaker Cannon Is Very Anxious to
Hold the Expenditures to the Low
est Possible Figures, AS Is Also
Secretary Shaw.
[BY H. ]. MAHIN.
Washington Bureau Of the Courier.
Washington, D. c., Dec. Z.


1t begins to look more and more
since the assembling of congress asl
though there would be no public
building bill this session. The cry of
the leaders in congress is for econ
omy and great pressure Is being
brought to omit public building
bill
Speaker Cannon is said to be op-
posed to the bill and Secretary Shaw
has advised against 1t. Secretary
Shaw believes that the government
will have to be careful or be In dan
ger of facing an alarming deficit
There is already a deficit of about $780,
100000 for six months and the repub-
lican leaders In congress are not anx
ious to be placed in a position where
they will have to explain a 60,000,000
deficit for the year.
1t is estimated that the public
building bill which the committee now
has in mind would cost at least $6,-
100000 or $7,000,000 and possibly $10,-
100000. There are enough towns and
cities in the country now provided
with sites to use up that sum and
there are bills before the committee
asking for twice as much for new
buildings and sites.
River and Harbor Bill Safe.
It looks as though congress would
have to choose between the public
building bill and the river and harbor
bill. If the matter reaches that point
there is little doubt that the public
building bil will be the one cast aside.
The river and harhor committee is all
ready at work on a measure and has
one about completed asking for $20,-
100000. This includes very little new
work. being mostly needed to continue
important projects already under way.
The river and harbor bill affects a
much larger percentage of congress-
men than the public building bill, in
fact nearly every man in congress has
some allotment for his constituents in
that measure. and If they must choose
there is every evidence that the river
and flarbor bill will get the votes.
Most Of the republican members
appear to be willing to give up the
public building bill this time If 1t is
thought absolutely necessary The
democrats of course, like Judge Wade
and others who are hoping to get
something, are clamoring for 1t.
Judge Wade Disappointed.
AS far as the building which Judge
Wade has promised Muscatine is con-
cerned it appears that the absence Of
! a bill this session would make little
difference The Courier correspond
ent learned today that even if there is
bill this winter there is not one
/ chance in thousand that the Musca-
tine building will be provided for in it.
Muscatine will have to wait until
! Congressman Elect Dawson takes his
seat. Mr.. Dawson has many friends
on the committee and there is little
doubt that he will get his constituents
! in Muscatine their long desired post
office building during his first season
| in Washington as congressman.
Allison on the Tariff.
Senator Allison has not as yet indi-
Gated how he feels on the question of
tariff revision. He has given no state
ment to anyone on the matter but con-
/ SSuICu W soy tlllo IittSh w IAS SouAiSi
correspondent today:
.'Of course I have ideas on the mat
ter. I stated them during the cam
paign and do not know that have
changed my mind since but do not
think this is the time for me to make
any statement as to what we should do
1t will be time enough when we come
to the place where we could do some.
thing If we wanted to. 1t is certain
that nothing can be done at this short
session and no one knows as yet and
probably will not know till the end
Of the session whether the
President will call an extra session.
None of us know what the conditions
may be at that time Revising the tar
/ iff is a large question and one that
we should investigate and consider
very carefully. The question in re.
vising the tariff are when and how to
/ I'd