The sun., 1908-04-11
BIG RAIDS ON TIE TREASURY
Two PROPOSITIONS INVOLVE Az
EXPENDITURE OF $50, ZOO, 900.

Congress Wllllny 10 Pass the Omnibus Pub.
Tic Building Dill hut tho President
Threatens TO Veto ~ Unless II Also
Provides for -Four New BattleShIps,
WASHINGTON, April iO--Two legislative
propositions involving expenditures ap-
pro1imating &OOOO,OOO are giving the Re-
publican leaders in the House Of Repre-
sentatives a great deal Of concern. One 10
the proposal Of the Administration that four
batteships costing more than sS,Oo0,oOO
apiece shall be authorized at this session.
The other is the omnibus public building
bin, a measure that has many friends AMI
which it Ii now estimated will carry appr2-
phations in excess Of so, 100000,
President Roosevelt has toll oaLlerA at
the White House that II Congress should
fail TO provide four battleships he woui
veto the public building bill II II came 20
him for signature. On the other hand,
those leaders have given notice that II
would be politically unwise to impose this
drain on the Treasury. The Administra-
tion is balancing the one measure against
the 9th r.
Holding tight the purse strings through .
out the present session, the House leaders
ase in the battleship programme a possible
undong Of their plans TO keep approprla-
tons within bounds They have therefore
practically notified the House membership
that II must take lie choice between battle.
ships and public buildings.
There Is good reason 10 believe, however,
that the leaders will be bowled over il they
attempt TO stop the public building bill.
Republicans end Democrats alike are very
much in earnest in their demand that the
public buildings shall be authorized and
on both sides Of the House it is agreed that
the public building bill shall be passed,
hattleships or no battleships, II the battle
ship programme fails and the President as
result should veto the public building bill
that measure would oubtedly be paSsed
over bis veto On the subject Of public
buildings the House membership Is pre-
pared 10 override the will Of the leaders and
to put the bill through regardless Of discip-
line.
II was said to-day by a member Of the
House committee that in framing the public
building bill every State in the Union
will be recognized in the measure, II
takes a two-thirds vote in House and Senate
TO overrule the Presidents veto. More
than two-thirds Of the membership Of both
branches Of Congress will be favorable
TO the bill in the form in which It will be
submitted 10 the House.
The Republican leaders realize the temper
Of the House on public building legislation,
but they are assuming hostility 10 il In
order TO scare OF members who are dis
P@=sA to vote into the naval bin four battle
ships instead Of the two recommended by
the Committee on Naval Affairs.
Just what will happen when the battle
ship section Of the naval bill comes up for
passage the leaders themselves do not
really know. They have counted noses
time and again and have repeatedly ex-
pressed the belief that the four battleship
schedule could not 60 through.
The situation did not look 80 promising
to-day, however. Representative Rich
mond Pearson Hobson has besn as busy
as bee for several months and has caused
It TO be made known that sixty-hve Demo
cratic members are pledged 10 q programme
providing for the construction OF four bat
tleships. The rest Of the votes needed,
he declared, will come from Republicans
and others who will uphold the hand Of
the Administration in any and all circum-
stances Representative Hobson an
nounced that the naval bill when it leaves
the House will carry appropriations he
advocates. He is 80 oocksure about It
that the leaders are puzzlep,
Whether the President will carry out his
intention. expressed some time ago, and
send in a message on the subject is prob
lematical Should this be done there is a
likelihood that the message will meet with
a rebuff.
Mr.. Roosevelt's habit Of prodding Con-
gress on matters Of legislation has irritated
even those Republicans who approve his
policies and battleship message might
touch of some fireworks distinctly to the
President disadvantage. A message call
ing for batteships in the opinion Of some !
leaders would have an effect just the re- |
verse Of that intended, Instead Of forcing |
the House 70 act il would stifien the backs |
Of those leaders who are sincere in their |
belief that an authorization Of two battle
shiIs is all that should be made with the !
Treasury facing a lCssible deficit