New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-01
THE SHORT SESSIONS TOO SHORT.

The stir made in the House of Representa-
tives over the ''cOercive deficiencies created by
department officials furnishes excellent ar
gument for frightening the short sessions of
Congress. Some of the members of the House
Appropriations Committee seemed disposed to
throw all the blame for the failure of the anti
deficiency law of 1905 on the shoulders of the
bureau chiefs who had oyerrun the apprOpria-
tons allotted to them. But other members were
fair enough to admit that, though department
officials were not TO be excused for evading
either the letter or the spirit of the law against
overpayments Congress should justly shoulder
a part of the responsibility for the Overdrafts
which it rebelled at honoring. a candid and
sensible confession was made in the course. of
the debate the Urgent Deficiency ApprUpria-
ton bill by Mr. Livingston, of Georgia, the
leading Democrat on the Appropriations Com
mittee. His language is worth reproducing, for
it calls attention to the serious handicapS under
which appropriation laws drafted and per-
fected i'll the brief working hours of a short ses-
sion OF Congress. Said Mr.. Livingston:
The departments are not alone to blame for
the custom that has grown up of Overreac ching
appropriations made by Congress. Since my
connection with the committee 1.-The Appropria-
tions Committed, fifteen or sixteen years we
have often encouraged rather than discouraged
deficiencies. 1t was a we'll recognized fact for
years that if wanted 10 make an impression
OF economy, or IL we nau a snort session ana
were in a hurry, we cut appropriations rather
than investigated them. and said: "Oh, We'll
they could go to the Senate or could come in
with a deficiency" 1t was understood in the
departments that they could come in with a
deficiency. and the custom has grown up until
il has become a part Of our system Mr.
Chairman 1t is impossible for an appropria ton
committee to be hurried upon bill that carries
millions and millions of dollars. How can you
tell where to cut. and what amount should be
cut, unless you pay attention to every single
item in the bill and understand the whole adj
ministration of the department? Now that
grows partly out of your short session. which
Congress should remedy. This country has be-
come too large its business too large, for any
two months and a half three months session
of Congress.
The point made by Mr. Livingston is we'll
worth considering. For years each short SEES
sion has bequeathed a mass of legislative ar
rears 10 the following long session Beyond
passing the appropriation measures Congress
does little or nothing at short session. 1t has
| undertake it, Yet even the appropriation bills
suffer from overhaste in preparation and from
the slapGGsii, hGIhaZaEG. 5ake-it-or-leave-it
methods by which they are finally forced
through conference. The country has outgrown
the short session, and il is time for Congress 10
drop the pretence of doing in eight or nine
weeks work which il ought to spend from
four TO five months.
The Tribune has long advocated Il revision Of
our political calendar and shifting of Inouru-
ration Day from March to April "a. or some
fixed weekday III the last week of April. This
change would Dut an end to the diseasaSogis aud