Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-05
Representative TaWney Warns
Against Extravaganza.
INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES
Have Never Been So Rapid as Dur
ing the Past Eight Years.
HOLDS CONGRESS BLAMELESs
Executive Demands for Approprla
lions for Doubtful Purposes and
Military Establishment Re-
sponsib1e, He Says.

REPRESENTATIVE Tawney of Minnesota
chairman of the House appropriations
| committee, made his annual statement
| concerning the financial affairs or the
government on the floor of the House
yesterday His statement is OF more thah
| usual interest In view OF Mr.. Tawney $
frank discussion of the present sta'e
| OF the Treasury. Mr.. Tawney SAID:
mo legislative duty surpasses in I'M
portance or responsibility the duty OF
appropriating the revenues derived
| from taxes collected from the people To
| meet governmental expenditures Never
has the discharge of this duty been at
tended in the Congress of the United
States with greater difficulties or more
embara ssments than during the past
few years.
None has felt more keenly or per-
hans suffered more. politically, because
| of the things that occas1oned these
difficulties and embarrassments IN cne
matter of appropria tons than the
members of the committees or tliis
House. charged with the duty of deter.
mining in the first instance the actual
money requirements of the public serV-
| ice. notwithstanding this fact ana the
opposition of powerful executive and
popular influences. these committees
have conscientiously endeavored to
discharge this most important leglsla-
tive duty in the interest OF the people,
and to avoid. if possible. recommend
ing to the House appropriations in OK
cess of the normal revenues OF me
government.
IF they have not at all times sue
ceeded. their failure has not been due
to any lack of desire or effort on their
y>rfe kS<Hv,e
| within the estimated revenues. and
within the actual necessities Of the
public service.
Warning Against Extravaganza.
In no period except in time of war
have the expenditures of our national gov
eminent increased so rapidly. both in the
aggregate and per capita, as these ex-
penditures have increased during the past
eight years. This fact may we'll prompt
our people not only to pause and consider
the cause Of this very large Increase in
the annual expenditure of the govern
ment but also to consider the necessity of
checking this growing tendency toward
excess and of aiding their representatives
who are charged with the duty OF in
posing no greater burden of taxation to
meet such expenditures than are neces-
sary in order to carry on the legitimate
function of their federal government.
IOT TIE puOhC CNpCboi-
lures are made upon estimates submitted
by the executive departments OF the gov
eminent at the beginning of each session
of Congress. q. The aggregate amount Of
these estimates for appropriations during
the past eight years. including the fiscal
year Of 1910. equals the enormous sum of
s.. 23l 341 .sOG.29.
Upon these estimates Congress has op-
propriated during that period the sum of
81, OO7 S39, 1S3. 46, being 500. 500 622.S3 less
a no estimated The TaniditV
with which our national expenditures
have been increasing during the period
referred to Is shown by the total appro-
priation for the fiscal year of 1903, which
were s796. 633, S64. 70, and tile total appro-
priations at this session for the fiscal
year Of 1910. s1.044.0l 4, 29S2 %. the differ
ence between the amount required for
the public service eight years ago and the
amount required now being s247,Ss0, 433 A.
Causes Of Increase.
THE increase in national expenditures
may be attributed TO several causes. but
the two primary causes leading to this
result have been, first, the popular and
executive demands upon Congress for ap-
preparations from the federal Treasury
for the exercise of rights and functions
belonging exclusively to the states. and.
second, the abnormal and unnecessary
war expenditures in time of peace. This
my remarks.
"The fact that the estimates submitted
by the executive departments of the gov
eminent for appropriations would. If al
lowed, largely exceed the revenues dur
ing this Congress and the preceding
Congress was kept constantly before the
respective houses and before the country,
but with no appreciabye effect.
AT the beginning of the first session of
this Congress I called attention to the
fact that the estimates for appropria-
lions submitted at that session for the
isca! year 1909 exceeded the estimated
revenues by S11S.OnOOO. and that unless
the House exercised the utmost care in
considering the estimates and making
appropriations for the public service and
In authorizing new appropriations the
deficit at the end of the fiscal year 1909
would equal S1JO.OOO0 COO. Withstand
ing the effort on the part of some of
the members of the House and Senate
during that session-which effort was un-
supported here and received no support
from the executive branch of the govern
ment or from the press of this country
the appropriations authorized and the
new legislation enacted, necessitating APP
preparations beyond the amount originally
estimated for, far exceed what was then
foreseen or admitted by their advocates,
and the result is that at the end of
this fiscal year we shall have a deficit
in the neighborhood of $1JO,OOOOOO, or
just about the amount then pre-
dicted.
Largest Appropriations Ever Made.
THE appropriations made at the last
session of Congress were larger than
those made in any previous session, and
the appropriations carried in the several
appropriation bills passed at this ,es-
sion of Congress are very considerably
in excess of what they were at the last
session. Yet in both sessions of Con-
gress they are far below the amount es-
timsted by the executive departments
for public expenditures during both ifs
cal years.
The responsibility for this cannot be
charged to the Congress Of the United
States If the estimates submitted dur
ing the past two or eight years had been
appropriated for. and if the amounts
proposed In bills introduced and de-
manded by public sentiment had passed
which amounts carried in bills now
pending before this House exceed a half
billion dollars-thc deficit. instead Of be-
ing in the neighbOrhood Of $150.O0O, 900,
would exceed $500. 900. 900.
Had it not been for the Congress and
the conservative element in that BODY
we would have long since been meeting
these enormously increased expenditures
from the proceeds Of the sale Of bonds
from that unfortunate situation is not
due to any effort or recommendation of
the executive branch of the government,
but to the Congress OF the United
States
The appropria tons made at this ses-
sion amount in all to $1.O44.OI4o9S23
This sum includes $30.000.00 for re-