The Washington times., 1908-05-17
Lavish Appropriations Vast
ly Exceed the Billion
Dollar Mark.
FUTURE TROUBLE
FEARED BY MANY
lmpoyerishment of Government
Pointed Out as a Possible Re
suit of Extravaganza.

When the first session Of the Sixtieth /
Congress Is declared adjourneaf as ii is |
exported il VIII be by the close of this |
week, the Treasury Department viii be /
authorized to eXpend more than Dill /
lion dollars for the fiscal year that be-
gins next June 80. In the whole proceed /
ing history OF the republic, even In the I
days when the country bore the burden /
OF civil war, there never have been such |
staggering appropriations.
Experienced and leyeI-headed leaders, /
in both houses. have pleaded Tor |
ii curtailment OF expenditures. and /
have urged that it was neceszs ry |
for the Government 10 go slow /
lest. huge deficit be brought /
about by the close of the coming fiscal !
year. Men like Aldrich and Hale and /
Tawuey have counseled economy. and /
have pointed out THAT unless economy /
were observed. the whole taxation sys- /
TEN OF the Government would have to
be revised.
Needless Of Warning.
But with these words of warning fresh
in their minds. and with the plain
spectacIe before them of diminishing
revenues. both houses have sailed eX-
travagantly on, regardless of the rapids
before them The House has put
through the regular supply bills with
allowance for lavish outlay by the Gov
eminent. Not one Of these bills has
passed the Senate without being sub
stanually increased.
Could Speaker Reed arise from his
grave and look over the appropriation
bills of the first session of the Sixtleth
. Congress, he would md that the phrase
a biIlion-dollar Congress" was far out
grown. AT the rate this Congress is
proceeding. before il reaches March 4.
1903 it viii have earned the title of
"A two-billiOn dollar Congress"
While the exact amount of money ap-
proriated by this session of Congress
will not be known until almost the last
minutes OF the session, the total can be
approximately told. The regular supply
bills. along with other small apprOpTia-
tion measures. and the public building
bill, will reach a total of about SSS000.-
coo. Adding 20 this the amount allowed
for the permanent annual appropriations
more than $4,000 900. gives a total of
more than S1o30 010ooo. This is the
amount which the Treasury Depart
ment will be authorized 10 expend the
coming fiscal year
Last Session OutdOne.
The appropriations made by the last
session OF the Fifty-ninth Congress,
along with the permanent appropria-
tions. amounted TO S943000o00.
The largest of the regular appropria-
ton bills is the postof1ce bill, which
carries about S220.O00O00. The pensions
1..F7 z4ea gl1 0sFl The 7,av-yr him
carries s122, 100000, and the army bill So
100000. The suadry civil bill is approx
mateIy $120,050.G30. These are the five
largest regular supply bills out of a
total OF fourteen.
Aside from the regular supply bills
there is the public buildings measure.
This carries about S23 0ooO00, as II passed
the House, IT Is expected that the Sen
ate will shove this up TO the region of
$50. 900.
VIII Defer Action.
Congress viii leave scores OF impor-
taEt measures without final action when
It adjourns. Nevertheless, considerable
important legislation has been passed.
or will be. before the session closes. II
IS expected an emergency currency bill
viii go through A bin has been passed
increasing widows pensions. Other
measures passed, OF nearly AT the end
of the route To- passage, are the con-
sular reorganization bin. the bill to in
. crease the efficiency of the army med
zeal department the employers liability
bill. measures for increase Of army and
navy pay, the bill TO abolish race track
gambling in the District, the District
child labor bill, bills to increase the ef-
O. ,z Z Il
the Revenue Cutter Service. the omui-
bus lighthouse bill. the bill TO extend
the street railway tracks to the Union
Station, and the bill to restore 10 the
coins the motto. I'm God We Trust"
President Roosevelt has strongly
urged legislation along certain lines.
but he viii fail to get the two principal
measures ne has sought. one TO modify
the Sherman law and The other an anti
Injunction Niu
Thousands of Bills.
Senate bills introduced number z127.
and of these 1S4 have passed the Senate.
Ninety Senate joint resolutions and lVf
simple resolutions have been introduced.
House bills introduced number q 945.
. These figures break the record of the
Fifty-mnth Congress in the first session.
OF the 4S4 Senate bills passed there have
been Il omnibus pension bills. carrying
about 900 individual bills. tt is esti-
mated that the new plan of omnibus
bills instead of separate individual bills.
viii save the Government S1,O190GJ in
printing. engrossing and the like. It
was first estimated, before the new plan
was tried, that it would save 500 600.
The Senate has ratified thirty-four
main 20 be acted upon.