Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-28
$22,00o,0o0
Shortage in U. S. Treas
ury Now Assured.
Executive Officers Spend More
Money Than Allowed.
Impeachment Proceedings Talked of to
Lessen the Extravaganza.

| Washington. Feb. 21-Chairman
| H-mrnvay ami his aSeo, iatcs on TIL.
| House committee on Al preparations are
| giNin; serious considerations To eX-
| tr-mc and drastic measures for keep
| ing the Zig supply bills within the linn
| its of the federal treasury. Impeach-
| nl"nt proceedings ana heavy fines for
| executive officers who per- 1T in spend
| ing more money than Congress allows
| Them are beng talked Of. An income
| tax law as Il means of raising more.
r"vt nae to meet the growing appr"pri-
| athens has been proposed as another
| alternative.
| The leading members Of the HOUSE
are beginning to experience a feeling
| nf hclpleSSn"SS as thcE examine the
various appropriation bills and see how
| the expenditures increase millions up
| "u millions. IN spite of treir best eff
| f'rts to restrict TIL" money bills to a
| cel tain point. ana avoid 4 deficit, ap-
| preparations hav" been approved this
| session in the same Ole reckless way.
| until the limit of last year has been
| surpassed. with the result of inSuring
| an enormous shnl taGe i'll the treasury.
| Members of congress insist that they
| have been forced n,0 spending more
money than was intended by the de-
mands OF aggressive officials who
crowd upon them from every quarter
with urgent recommendations for
more approximations. She situation has
been aggravated by the custom of 4
great many dep;:i tmentS of eXhaustinE
the last penny of its annual allowance
| and then assuming Obligations for
many millions more which Congress is
compelled to provide The feature is
| considered by many of the thoughtful
men of the House as the greatest evil
| that now confr0ntS the government in
its fiscal policy.
| chairman HcnicnWay in a statement.
gave an estimate Of The probable de-
,icit for the new fiscal year. He said:
| Il said about year ago that there
would be a surplus in the treasury Of
s. 900 900 or S5GGO.0Oo. This statemert
vas based on the appropriations made
| and the estimated receipts for the year.
| The estimate Of receipts was fairly
| correct for the revenues will be ius1
| about as was expected. The appropria-
| tons We're held down to the amount |
| G'lggeSted also. Eut the Navy depart
mcmt created 4 deficiency Of $4,000. 900.
| due to the NOR raui1 construction of
vessels authorized than had been an
ticIpat"d. There was a deficiency al
most as large from the War depart
| ment on account OF coast defences. The
rost office department comes along
| with Il deficiency of about $4,000, 900. In
view of these unlocked for shortages
| r,Ii
or estimate of Il surplus. | now predic1
| that there will he a treasury deficit of
between $50. 600 600 and $50 .000. 600
If tie deficit for the Now year is kept
within the limit named py Mr.. Hemtn-
way il will he a great surprise to most
OF the members of tho House. He does
not take into consideration the posi-
hility Of the passage of a public build
| ing bill, and calculates on a $30,0OO.0O0
river and harbnr bill. 1t is quite Ger
| tain that the Senate will tack on any
where from S-.0GG. 900 I, $40 COO 900 to the
| river and harbor measures. and maybe
| more. Mr.. Hemelway'S estimate is al
so based on the assumption that the
Customs revenue next year Will con
ti"ue At the present rate. A dropping
of of a few millions. which is a posi-
fility. would increase the shortage in
tn" treasury i'll the proportion. Other
members of The committee on appropr
atoms say that til" estimated deficit
Of the chairman is too small. They
Tiace it anywhere from $23,0O0,0O0 TO
S3' .00o.G coo. A sudden shrinkaGe in the
customs receipts might double these
figures.
1T is my firm convictions" said Rep
rescntative Littauer. one of the lead
ing members of the appropriation COM
| nilttee. that sooner or later we will
have to enact an income tax law in
order to raise revenues enought to keep
the government running. | see no other
way out of it, for it has been pretty
well demonstrated that under our
present system Of aprOpriating money.
it is impossible to keep within rea-
Sonable limit. Our committee eXerted
every possible effort this year to prune
down the estimates and turn out bills
of the most economical character.
VI lille we succeeded fairly we'll in this.
other committees that frame up appro-
priatiun bills were running away ahead
of last years expenditures and COM
pletely nullilied our economies. Appro-
rriationS are getting bigger and big
ger every year and experience has
taught us that 1t is hopeless to attempt
to Top off federal eXtraVaganceS and
Injuries. | see no opportunity to save
50, 000 900. $,0. 900 900 or $1O0,OOO.GOO in
the yearly expenditures of the govern
ment. The only other way to avert de-
ficits is to raise more money and | be-
lieve that eventually an income tax
will be adopted as a means Of filling up
the governments Golfers
The enormous deficits reported from
the war. navy and post office depart
ments haS raised an angry cutlery
against arrogant bureaucracy. The