Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-02-19
CONGRESS TOUCHES
TWO BILLION MARK
Appropriation Made During The
Present Short Session viii tx.
coed Billion Dollars.
HIGHEST POINT EVER KNOWN
Democrats Calmly Taking Their
Share and Preparing to Make Re.
publican Extravaganza Their Issue.
Believed That Expenditures VIII
This Year Exceed the Revenues
(By Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. IS
This will be billion dollar session
OF Congress. Stand Pattism," is en-.
gagged in its last great raid on the
Treasury. in the opinion of tho
Democratic leaders in Congress-.
1t is plainly evident that the ao.
preparations of this session, which
VIII adjourn two weeks from to-
morrow and wllch chs been three
short months in length, will exceed
by s100,OO0,000 the appropriations oil
any otler Congress in the history
OF the country.
1t was not long ago that the Dem.
oeTats raised the cry of ~ billion
dollar Congress in proof OF THE ex
LraNaIgance Of Republican rule.
Spealo,r Reel, then enthroned in
the House, drawled out:-"This Is
4 billion dollar country" That was
Tor two sessions. The expenditures
have new grown until. If they are
as large next year as this. n two
billion dollar congress- Will be at
hand
At Highcet Mark.
appropriation hills which have al
ready passed the House or are I'M
der way, together with the increase,
IN appropriations made in them In
the senate justify the prediction
mat the hlliorl dollar mark will
be the pitfan which the Republican
leaders in both houses will have tc
avoid.
In point of extraordinary appro.
FnaLonS 1'le present session has
peen grab bag Scarcely an APP
Ercpr alton bill has been passed by
the House that has ret exceeded I'm
amount any b'll of & similar M
ture ever passed by tEt bc1y. :,
addition tie members have yotea
an increase in their salaries OF fifty
per cent. have passed river and
hlrbor pork barrel witch makes
all previous efforts in that zine
look cheap, have added $4,000, 900
to t:th annual pension roll, have
authorized S20,00C00O worth of bat
tie ships whdn do not appear In
the naval appropriations for the com
ing fiscal year, and if the ''s.and
patters" have their way there re-
rr"'ns' vet to be passed n shin sub
sidy bill carrying s3,5OO,0O0, which
will iEc the opening wedge fcr fur
tAer big appropriations in that iii.
rection.
AS it Is estimated that the surplus
for the present fiscal year will be
only aboUt $30,O000OO the expendl.
lures provided by Ills Congress will
eXcasd the revenue in sight by enor-
nous sum OF nearly 100000 900.
The situation which has devel-
oped in the House brings Joy to
TIE hearts of tho Democrats. They
are not complaining of the situation
but are taking their share Of the
grabs" without a word. because
the Republican majority is respon-
aible. That they intend TO make
the eXtrayagances of this congress
an Issue in THE next national cam
paign is we'll understood, and that
they can pound 1t home on the
minds Of the people that the Ding
ley tariff is creating an annual sur
plus that can only he got rid of
by Drodlgai extravaganza is being
confidently counted upon 10 aid them
in 1908
Capital for Democrats.
In AIRY event the Republican lead
ers will not be permitted u rest
upan TIE assumption that a Billion
dollar taxation is an easy burden
when levied by unequal tariff saaea-
utss. The Democrats pretend to
heheve ice Republican leaders see
this fact as we'll as themselves, and
they give 1t as one reason why the
Aspubltcans are cleaning the Treas
ury at tits session with fine tooth
comb.
In approximate figures the an
Isual budgets for the next fiscal
year have been estimated at slight
~ more than s1,0000O0,0OO. Some
Of the pending appropriation bills
have not yet reached the senaua
which last year added $20,0O0,000 tc
the measures proposed by tfle House
In round numbers the bills are ey'
pected to become law with thfse
estimated total appropriations.