Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-02-19
SPENT ABOUT ONE
BILLION DOLLARS.
THIS sHoRT-SEssIoN CONGRESS
BREAKS ALL RECORDS.

Washington. Feb. 19.-This will
be a billion-dollar session. stand
patism" Is engaged in its last great
raid on the Treasury. in the opinion
OF the Democratic leaders in Con-
gress. II is plainly evident that the
appropriations of this session OF Con-
gress which will adjourn two weeks
from tomorrow and which has been
three short months in length, will
exceed by $1OO,0OO.OOO the appro-
priations of any other Congress in
the history of the country.
1t was not long ago that the Dem
ocrats raised the cry of "A Billion
Dollar Congress" in proof OF the ex-
travaganee of Republican rule.
Speaker Reed, then enthroned I'm the
House. drawled: This is a billion
dollar country" That was for two
sessions. The expenditures have now
grown until II they are as large
next year as this, a wo-billion-dol-
lar Congress will be at hand.
Appropriation bills which have al
ready passed the House or are I'M
der way in that body, together with
the increases made to them in the
Senate or contemplated, show that
the billion-dollar mark will be the
goal which the Republican leaders
in both houses will have to avoid.
In point of extraordinary appropria-
tions the session has been a "garb
bag" Hardly an appropriation bill
has been passed by the House that
has not exceeded in amount any APP
ever passed by that body. In al
dition, the members have voted an
increase in their salaries of so per
cent, have passed River and Har-
Dor bill which makes all previous
efforts in that line look cheap, have
added $15,000,0OO to the annual
pension roll; have authorized $780,
100000 worth Of battleships which
do not appear in the Naval Appro-
priation for the coming fiscal year
end, If the "standpatters" have their
way, there remains yet to be passed
a Ship Subsidy bill carrying with II
annually $3,5OO,OOO, which will be
the opening wedge for further ex-
penditures in that direction. Inas-
much as it Is estimated that the sur
plus for the present fiscal year will
be in the neighborhood OF only $780,
100000, the expenditures provided
by this Congress will exceed the
revenue in sight by the prodigal sum
of nearly $1O0,OOO,0OO.
In approximate figures the annual
budgets for the next fiscal year have
been estimated at slightly more than
1,000,000,000 Some of the pend
ing appropriation bills have not yet
reached the Senate, which last year
added $2O,OOO,0O0 in the aggregate
in increases to the measures pro-
posed by the House. In round num-
bers the bills are expected to become
alws with the following estimated
total appropriation, respectively:
Agriculture ...... $1O,5OO,OOO
Army ............. 100000
Diplomatic service. 90. 3,138,OOO
District of Columbia. 14,OOO,O0O
Fortificahons ....... 5,414,0OO
Indian appropriations 41O,O00,0O0
Legislative appropriation 81, 100000
Military Academy .... 100000
Navy including authorized bat
tleships ........ 115,5OO,OOO
Pensions .......... 138,OOO,OOO
Postofice Department 2O6,OOO,OOO
Rivers and harbors o.. 90,00O,OOO
sundry civil ....... 100000, 900
Deficiency ......... 100000
Service pensions ..... 100000
Permanent appropriations
............. 100000
Miscellaneous ....... 10000, 900
Urgent deficiency 49,. 1900, 900