The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-02-28
Washington Chat

word with the present Congress. De-
spite the strenuous efforts on tie part
OF the Speaker and a few others to
keep down the expenses Of the govern
ment, the fact Is looming up that with
the appropriation bills which have
been passed and the estimates of those
which will pass between now and the
18th of March, the total sum expended
will be more than a billion dollars, a
sum greater than that spent by any
other Congress. AS near as can be
figured now the surplus in the
Treasury at the end of this fiscal year
will not be more than 1921, 0O0,0 900,
while during the next fiscal year the
expenditures may exceed the revenues
by some 100000 900
The amount that will be necessary
for the work on the Panama canal
during the next year, according to the
estimates of the canal commission,
will be $4,000, 900. Even this has
not deferred the Congress from pro-
viding IN some measure for almost
everything that has been asked for,
with the exception of the waterway
from the Gulf to the Lakes, which, it
is estimated, would cost $3l ,00O, 900,
and the increase in the salary Of the
government clerks.
Early in the session the safety-valve
was placed wide open and has re-
manned so ever since. Postal employ
ees are given increases amounting to
S7,000,0O0. New battleships are pro-
vided at cost of $4,000, 900. The
largest river and harbor bill since the
S93, 0Ol 900 The army has received
a gift IN the form OF new coast ar
tillery which will cost Uncle Sam
several millions d year. In addition
to giving the old soldiers of many
wars $l3S, 000, 600 in the regular pen
sion appropriation bill. Congress has
added $i5,000,000 more in a service
pension act. Another million has
been given to the jamestown EXPOSE
ton and it is likely that the sundry
civil bill, one of the last to be passed
just before adjournment, will carry
more than 100000, 900. These consti-
tute just few items that go to make
this Congress the most expensive
history.
Rigid inspection
Secretary OF Commerce and Labor
Strauss. has become wonderfully
familiar with the workings OF his
department in the short time he has
been a Cabinet official. Nothing es
canes him and each branch of his
bureau is being placed on strictly
business basis. His latest work il
in the direction of providing for 6
more rigid inspection Of the steamboat
inspection laws of the United States
He believes that the enforcement o
the law is in competent hands but h'
wants to obtain a stricter inspection
of all steam vessels over which tn
United States has jurisdiction.
His aim is to avoid such accident
as the recent larchmont horror which
has brought many complaints to tn
department against what is ALLEGED
to be carelessness of owners OF vessel
carrying passengers. Secretar,
Strauss has impressed upon the IN
spectors the necessity OF strict en-
forcement of the law, declaring tina
where human life entered as facto
zoo much care could not be exercise
in safeguarding it. He reminds tn
officials that as spring and summe
seasons approach, travel by water vii
increase tremendously in volume, an
nothing should be left undone to N
sure the safety of persons on vessel
over which the government has COZ
troll.
New Designs on Coins
For the first time in fifty years tn
designs on the gold coins of the Unite
States are to be changed. This is tn
decision of the President, who, unde
the law, may do as he likes regardin
such designs, providing that the
shall not be changed oftener tina
once in twenty-five years, and that o
each coin there shall appear a
emblem of liberty, the year OF til
oo;nooe and the words "Epluribu
>, Rovond being bound