The Washington times., 1909-04-17
No Other Way Known to
Congress to Pay Govern
ment's Growing Bills.
SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE
TO CUT EXPENSES
Keeping Even Tasks Lawmakers
of Nation to the Last
Extremity.
BY JOHN SNURE.

the tariff bill.
That neither the Payne bill nor the
Aldrich bill as they stand will raise
adequate money to run the Govern
ment is the Judgment Of well-informed
experts about the Capitol who have
considered these measures. That the
plan Of effecting large economies In the
Government expenditures so as to help
Uncle Sam make both ends meet is go
ing largely to fail is another impress
sion that is strong in the Senate and
the House
Inasmuch as the success Of the tariff
law In raising enough money to con-
duct Government operations is going
TO depend largely on how much the ex-
penses c. running the Government are
cut down. il is worth while to consider
what basis there is for the belief in
some quarters that many Of the leaks
in the Treasury pockets can be stopped.
Looking For Leaks.
At the Capitol. for the Senate Com
mittee on Appropriations, former Sena-
tor Hemenway is working on this ques-
tion for the Committee on Appropria-
tions; at the other end of the Avenue
President Taft hss a committee Of his
Cabinet investigating the question.
Large results are promised, and also
from the formation by the Senate re-
Gently of a new Committee on Public
Expenditures. of which. by the way,
nothing has been heard since 1t was
appointed early in the special session
at IS expected that when Senator Aid
tich makes his statement 10 the Senate
on the Aldrich tariff bill next Monday
he will have figures TO present as 10
e ~4r--- h, do In
the Government expenditures. 1t is said
these will run up to about S7oOOo,00O.
The situation with respect 10 expen-
aitures however, 5,, Is - Spcn az an tS enornnous ~ S
amount of looping off to prevent the
outlay from rising higher 1t viii re-
Quire a great amount OF restraint 10
prevent the next regular session OF COT
gress from apprOpriating more money
than the last session did II the next
regular session succeeds IN holdinS
down the expenditures to the level
reached by the last session, Ii will have
accomplished a great deal. This IS a
fact which is generally lost signt or IN
considering the revenue question and
the tariff legislation
Harder To Cut Expenditures.
Only by the most stringent kind OF
economy can the Government expendi-
lures be kept from getting higher.
That they can be made lower than they
are now Is extremely unlikely.
The total appropriations OF the last
regular session of Congress amounted
20 over s1,04i.000.O0O. This was about
Sss,000,O00 more than the appropriations
the preceding year. The Increase in
the appropriations made last session
over the appropriations made the seS-
sion before, however, was nothing un-
usual Representative Tawney-s figures
presented TO the House at the close or
.
proprlations made for the fiscal year
1903, there had been an increase IN the
total appropriations Of over 50 100000
II viii be recalled that the record
breaking total of sl.044. .000.O 600 was reach
ed by Congress last session IN the face
OF the continued warnings OF the lead
ers and their efforts or apparent efforts,
10 hold a tight rein on expenditure.
20 lecture Congress on economy and an
other thing 10 practice their preachings.
In the face Of some OF the severe things
he said 70 the Senate last session, Sen
ator Hale. as chairman Of the Naval
Affairs Committee. reported Dill ana
urged its passage. that carried Sl36,O0O,-
QQo for the navy. All efforts 70 reduce
IL were useless.
Naval Demands Big.
The coming regular session, Congress
will probably be impelled to put through
a naval appropriation bill still larger
than the one it passed last session The
public sentiment OF the country de-
niards a great navy, and IT is costing
more and more to maintain this navy.
At least one and probably two new
Dreadnoughts will be demanded. and It
was pointed out in the debate on the
naval bill on the Senate floor and not
disputed that the navy appropriation a
year hence would be much greater than
the bill passed last winter. That the
navy bill viii run up 10 Sl500OQOO0 or
Sl6ol0O0.0O0 next winter is believed IN
many quarters.
The army bin passed by the last ses-
sion of Congress amounted 20 over $10l.-
10000. Considering the constant effort
20 enlarge the army and branch out in
new directions IN military expenditures
any reduction OF this Is highly improb
able.
Last session the appropriations for
fOrtihcatiOns were cut 10 the bone. Vast
schemes OF fOrtidcatiOn are afOOt for
the Pacific coast and elsewhere that
Congress is not likely TO resist. at least
not for any length OF time. Lately
there has been strong movement
New Orleans and the mouth OF the
Pension Bill Great.
The pensions bill OF the nation is not
decreasing. Nor IS there any prospect
of Il decreasing TO any extent for the
present. Last winter no appropriation
was made for public buildings. that is.
there was no general public buildings
bill: nor was there any but a slight
rivers and harbOrs bill.
Next winter the pressure for large
bills on both these subjects viii be
great AS for each department Of the
Government the inevitable tendency is
for II 10 expand and the tendency is for
salaries TO increase. In this Congress Il
and the President have set the example. /
Such considerations as these and
others that might be enumerated lead |
10 the conclusion that the talk Of large
reductions IN Government expenditures
IS 20 be taken with a grain Of salt
The truth is that n the Aldrich bill |
and an incOm- tax both are put
II VIII require careful hnan- !
ciering TO avoid a deficit. The thing
that looms large before Congress IS /
that a bond issue. or its equivalent is
almost a certainty before any great |
length Of time, and those who are Civ
ing the most study TO the situation are
at their wits end 20 know how IL can
be prevented by any OF the ordinary
means OF raising revenue.
No light fact IN this connection Is the |
rapid Increase In many parts OF the
Of dry territory, which is al !
ready being felt I'm the amount OF in
ternal revenue receipts.