Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-25
The Appropriations.

Before discussing the number of acts
passed, 1t is interesting to note that with all
the strenuous exertions of appropriation
committee In the House with a new chair
neutrality-suspicious. Tawney-it has been
impossible to hold the appropriations down
to much less than $500 COO, eco, although
economy was the watchword from the
start.
One of TIE important features of the ses-
sion has been the careful scrutiny with
which the demands of the different govern
ment departments have been received by
tn House appropriations committee. The
hearings accorded to government officials
asking for money to run their departments
and bureaus have been more exhaustive
than ever before. The result has been the
enactment of restraining legislation on near
ly every appropriation bill, which it is in
tended will have a beneficial effect hereaf-
ter. Much of this proposed legislation was
stricken out in the House on points of Or
der" but some of the more important pro-
visions became law.
First in this class Is undoubtedly that
requiring the heads Of all executive depart
ments to apportion the appropria tons they
receive into equal parts to avoid de1cien-
cies. This Is to be done under penalty.
Although Congress intended to enact this
law at the last session, 1t was found upon
application that it was ineffective. The
amendments of the present session make
1t impo sstble to evade complying with this
appcrtionment requirement The only ex-
cUso that can be offered is the happening
of some unforeseen event or emergency.
Unless this can be shown, the head of a
department asking for a deficiency apprO-
priation shall be summarily removed and
lays himself liable in the future to fine
and even Imprisonment.
Another requirement on the executive de-
partments intended to bring the matter of
appropriations directly into the hands of
Congress Is that contained In the legisla-
tive appropriation act. and which makes 1t
necessary for each department to submit
all of Its estimates for appropriations in
the book of estimates sent to Congress at
the beginning of each session.
Still another matter of economy Is the
taking away from the government clerk
the right to secure a transfer to another de-
partment at a higher salary, at least until
he has served three years in the position
he wishes to abandon. The prompt turning
into the treasury of all moneys collected by
heads of departments as government reve-
nues Is another safeguard against extrav-
agance. 1t was found that during the past
year one department had collected revenue
to the amount of $4,000 and disbursed IL
without authority of law.
A strict accounting Is hereafter to be re-
ceived from all United States court clerks.
A revelation that one such clerk had re-
ceived emoluments amounting to 1895 in one
day brought about this provision.
Permanent Appropriations.
Although there had been an effort made
to prevent the enlargement OF what Is
known as the permanent annual appro-
prfations. this character of expense has
increased during the session to the extent
of nearly IS 100000. making a total perma-
nent annual appropriation of more than
S140, 100000. AS it happened the increase in
this appropriation came in one day in the
House. The meat inspection bill carried a
permanent annual appropriation Of So, 600 :
eco, and the same day the House passed
the bill adding 81 600 600 to a like amount
annually for the support OF the state mi
litia- Measures were introduced, on which
action will be pressed at the next session.
to repeal a portion of the permanent annual
appropriations of the government
Organized labor has succeeded in its re-
quests of the present session of Congress to
the extent of securing the enactment of
what Is known as the employers liability
bill" This enactment will make It possible
for an employe to secure damages for his
injury. notwithstanding his own negligence
may have been in part responsible for that
injury. Another BILL which has received the
approval Of the Senate, and will doubtless
become law before the end of the session.
is that limiting the hours Of continuous
service OF railway trainmen to sixteen con-
secutfve hours work, to be followed by ten
hours rest. The much-agitated eight hour
bill received a favorable vote from the
labor committee of the House, but too late
to secure action at the hands of Congress-
The anti-inJunction bill was postponed in
committee until the next session Of Con-
gress upon a direct vote on that PROPOSE
ton
One of the novel features of law-makins
was the enactment Of a measure to preserve
the scenic beauty OF Niagara falls This
action was in direct response to a popular
demand that the falls be not denuded OF
their beauty to serve the purposes of COM
merce. which seemed to demand the trans
formation Of the great cataract into series
Of monumental canals and power sta
tions The legislation was difficult to