The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-05-04
LIVE WASHINGTON AFFAIRS.
Appropriations Analyzed.

rcsentative Hemenway, of Indiana,
and Representative Livington, OF
Georgia, respectively chairman and
ranking minority members of the
House committee on appropriations,
according to established custom, made
public statements dealing with the ap-
preparations provided at this session
of Congress. Although the gentle
men agree as to figures, their deduc-
tons vary, for Mr. Hemenway's state
ment appears under the caption Good
Government Housekee ping" while
Mr.. Livingston heads his "a Congress
That Has Done Nothing But Spend
Money"
According to the tables presented,
the grand total of appropriations for
the year Ioo4-ioo5 is S7Si,574,62o,
against $753o5S,5 500 for the preceding
| year.
After reviewing the expenditures
for the next fiscal year, Mr.. Hemen-
way concludes:
The expenditures of our govern
| ment in their aggregate, as exhibited
by the appropriations of Congress,
arc large, and by unthinking persons
dlN hNllOullNNhy anu NNl dNOOIhlllk W
1.-The very best authority our national
government is the most economically
administered of any in the civilized
world"
A table to substantiate this state
ment is given showing the per capita
expenditures OF the leading nations.
The highest given is New Zealand
where the per capita expense is $50. 49,
the lowest is the United States, with
a per capita showing of $7.o7.
OF this total sum S26,SoI ,S43 was to
pay DEFICIENCIES for prior fiscal years and
$50, SOC, 900 is set aside for application
to the sinking fund. This leaves the
total appropriation for the expenses
of the government for the year 1905
5000, ,272, ,7S6. The total estimated rev
enues for this period are $7o4472, 600,
or an excess over appropriations or
authorized expenditures of $6,Ioo,274.
Continuing, Mr.. Hemenway says:
Experience has demonstrated that
one year with another the actual ex-
penditurcs OF the government are
about per cent. less than the appro-
priations made by Congress, and, an
ticipating that tine coming fiscal year
will not prove an execution to this
practically we'll established rule, it
is safe to assume that the apparent
surplus Of revenues over expenditures
will be augmented by not less than
$35,ooo,ooo, thus affording a safe mar
gin of at least $4,000, 600"
Mr.. Livingston, in his statement,
compares the expenditures of demo-
cratic congresses with republican con-
crosses, and adds: The appropria-
tions for each of the fiscal years 1906
and 1906, as made by democratic
Congress, do not materially vary, as
will be seen, one from the other, and
average only $4o4,6I7,6o2 for each
year.
"The table also shows that appro-
priations for federal expenditures
made under a republican alministra-
tion by a republican Congress for the
next fiscal year have reached the start
ling sum of S7SI, ,574,62o or an increase
of S2So,o55,o27 over the average of the
last two years under democratic con-
troll and within 4 period of less than
ten years.
81 do not question the honesty Of
these vast appropriations either in
their aggregate amount or in their de-
tails; but | challenge the wisdom of
the policy OF the dominant party that
has made these enormous eXpendi-
lures necessary through the increase
of the military and naval establish
ments, the maintenance of which is
at the expense OF needed internal i'm
prOVement such as river and harbor
works and public buildings. During
the session which is just about to
close the representatives of the peo-
pie have been denied consideration OF
the demands OF their constituents all
along this line, and yet the appropria-
tions for the army show an increase
over what it costs in 1896 of $54,ooo,-
900, and the navy the still greater i'll
crease OF 100000, 900,
Whatever may have been the sins
OF commission OF this Congress, they
are as nothing compared to its sins OF
omission, denying consideration to all
legislation to the welfare OF grea.
masses Of people