The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-06-28
The Governments
Expenses Should
Be Reduced
BY United States Senator J. A. HEr1ENWAY
Of Indiana

F the departments of the government had confined themselves
to the use of money appropriated by congress for the cur
rent fiscal year there would now be no deficiency. 1t is a
very easy matter to prove that congress is not to blame. The
total amount carried by the appropriation bills for the present
fiscal year is LESS THAN THE TOTAL RECEIPTS of the
government for the same period. If the departments had not spent
more than congress intended they should spend we would be con-
fronted by a balance on the other side of the ledger.
There ire three sources of the deficiency. In constructing naval
vessels more rapidly than anticipated, involving unexpected purchases
Of armor plate, a deficiency of something like $14, 100000 has been
created. In rush work on coast defenses about &c. 0OO, 1000 more has
been anticipated. The balance of SIG, 100000 of the present de-
fcency is the result of different departments Of the government ex-
pending more money than al appropriated.
$3.50
This practice of anticipating revenues has become so common that
clerks of their own motion HAVE CREATED DEFICIENCIES
without consulting the head Of a department. In Ole of the appro-
prlation acts of the recent congress there wa inserted, on my motion,
a provision making it a criminal oAensc, punishable by fines, and in
certain cases by Imprisonment, if deficiencies hereafter ae created
without direct and written authority Of the heads Of the departments.
| am told that this law already is working well and that it will save
the government a good deal this year.
There r. many things which the government could properly do
that it is not in a position FINANCIALLY to do. Too many of
our worthy department officials and clerks have been assuming to
DECIDE what the government can properly do without leaving ii. to
congress to say.
The remedy for our financial fix is in reducing expenditures. In
my Judgment a change Of the tariff would operate to reduce, rather
than increase, revenues. The government is now engaged in many
matters that are proper enough, but that COULD BE DISPENSED
WITH.
1 expect that l will bring criticism on my head for saying so, but
I believe that the manner in which we are constructing public build
ings in small towns over the country has grown to be a colossal abuse.
The minute n of them is erected it fastens o the government a
maintenance charge Of 5000 a year, while in almost any town Of
the size l mention commodious and comfortable postofRce quarters,
with light, fuel and boxes furnished, can be secured for $500 a year.
There you have AN ANNUAL WASTE OF $500, to say moth
ing of the cost of constructing the building. No more such extrava-
gance should be allowed.
1--WE are paying every year $4,000 to agents for reporting the
condition of the cotton crop 1t is astonishing how many scientific
projects the government has on hand which seem to have no PRAC-
T1CAL value and which could be discontinued without 80 per cent
of the people knowing ANYTHING about it, but which fasten q cost OF
the treasury running into millions of dollars. The states no longer
maintain their own quarantine service, but all that is saddlcd ON
THE GOVERNMENT. There is one branch of the GOVERN
MENT which has entered largely into the work of making surveys.
UNCLE SAM PAYS THE COST. AND PRIVATE CORPORATIONS,
WHICH ARE GENERALLY ABLE TO MAKE THEIR OWN SURVEYS,
REAP THE Benefit.