The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-11-18


cost of Improvement from year To year
on future generations.
Some of the western state and fed
eral officials have been making it hot
for "Uncle joe because he was 50
conservative about their 14-foot water
way There have been meetings and
speaking aboard their boats on the
way down the Mississippi and also at
New Orleans. They lost no opportunity
to whang away al the veteran Ilhnoisan
and he, in turn, has met their assaults
boldly but with good nature and has
tried TO make it plain what the men
who have to guard the treasury from
a deficit and the public from the bur-
den of bond issues, which might prove
unpopular, have to think about the
great project.
The government has been and is
building the Panama Canal. upon which
it will soon be spending about $40,-
100000 a year. Part of this expendi-
ture has been paid from the current
treasury funds and part of it has been
paid from the proceeds Of bond sales.
Henceforth, with the treasury funds
running so low. there viii certainly be
further issues of Panama Canal bonds,
which means that the public debt of
the United States will be increased.
The government these days, and in
fact, for the last few years, has not
been materially reducing its public
debt.
The house appropriations committee,
headed by Chairman James Tawney, Is
leaving Washington and New York this
week for a trip TO Panama for the
purpose Of making up the annual bud
get for the canal. The committee holds
hearings on the Isthmus for several
days and calls in canal officials to ques-
ton them about the operations and to
ascertain, better than it could by sit
ting in Washington, what the financial
needs Of that project are. The proceed
ing is identical with that followed in
making up all appropriation bills, ex-
cept that in case of the other bills the
hearings are had at the capitol and
officials, interested in the appropriations
or having a hand in discussing them,
regular meeting place.
Chairman Tawney tarried in Wash
ington several days before departing
for the Isthmus and laid the founda-
ton for the work he and his appro-
priations associates have to do. The
treasury department furnished to him
in advance the proof sheets OF estl-
mates for the canal. These will be
studied and reviewed on the way down
to the Isthmus. 1t is not feasible, of
course, to curtail appropriations for
digging of canal. There is no thought
on the part of the committee or of
congress of economizing there. The
people want the canal dug as expedi-
tiously as may be and the only object
is to furnish money as fast as it can
be wisely and proftably used.
But on government appropriations IN
general Chairman Tawney is to be a
stern economy advocate this winter. He
had a talk with Assistant Secretary OF
the Treasury Norton, who has given
study to the waste in government ap-
preparations and gathered some new
suggestions as to where the pruning
knife can be applied at the coming ses-
sion of congress.
The treasury watchdogs would like to
cut down the supply of money fer some
of the bureaus that have grown up and
f1ourished under the Roosevelt admins
trations, such as the forest bureau. The
receipts of that bureau are about 81,
100000 a year-chiefiy from grazing
permits and from the sale of timber.
But the expenses of the bureau for ad-
ministration run far beyond that and
constitute quite tax upon the treas
ury. It was only few years ago that
the forest bureau comprised a force of
eleven men. two of whom were trained
foresters. The cost of maintaining the
bureau and it's field force was less than
100000 year. Now the employees of
the bureau are 5000 and there are about
$50 trained foresters in the list. The
critics on the appropriations committee
say that Forester Pinehot is dictator
over an area larger than George Wash
ington ruled as President and that there
is practically no way of interfering
with Chief Pinehot' s rule The area
of national forests has been tremend-
ously augmented in recent years and
includes vast deal of valuable timber
land which the government hopes to
conserve against the day when the
country may be threatened with tim
Der famine.
The splendid utility of the forest SER
vice is recognized and the people prob
ably approve of it too cordially to per-
NIT of any material curtailment in ap-
preparations. Chief Pinchot is confident
that in time-and that before very long
the forest service will not only be
self-supporting but will yield a fine
revenue to the government. Therefore
congress will find it an uphill fight to
cut him off from the necessary funds for
administration, Just as it has in pre-
vious years when his large plans for
conserving public timber lands have
been bitterly assailed in senate and
house.
So it is whichever way the economy
advocates of senate and house turn.
They can point out where a lot of
money could be saved but the demands
for the appropriations are tremendous
and can not easily be resisted. Many
appropriations are going for purposes,
which President Roosevelt made pop
ular. The army and the navy are get
ting a great big chunk of the increases.
The policy of building dreadnoughts,
at least two a year. was forced upon
congress by the former President. Each
dreadnought adds about $10,00O.000 TO
the budget for its construction and the
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