The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-02-24
Present Session Makes Mem
bers Wonder Where Money
Is Coming From.
OF MILITARY
GOES UP BY LEAPS
No River and Harbor or Public
Building Bills This Ye9, Yet
Budget Increases.
By JOHN SNURE.

By JOHN SNURE.
This session Of Congress being about
to brea6 all records Of appropriations.
the wise ones about the Capitol are
looking forward to see what the next
regular session is likely TO do.
1t IS computed that this session OF
Congress viii appropriate s1.OSs. 900, 900.
or about $50. 100000 more than was ap-
propriated last year.
The indications now are that by the
time the next regular session OF Congress
gets through Ioosening the purse strings
OF the Government, the appropriations
81, ,lO0,0O0,0O0. This will mark the begin
ming or an advance in the direction OF
a three-billion Congress instead OF a
4 twO-billion Congress. In other words.
at the rate Congress is now spending
money, it will not be long until a sim
gle session apprOpr1ates a billion and a
half dollars. This would mean three
billions t2r the two regular sessions OF
It is not difficult 10 see that the next
regular session OF Congress is going to
be drawn on for larger sums than the
present session has been Only the
other day II was pointed out in the
senate DEBATE on the navy bill that the
country had nowhere nearly seen the
ultimate amount OF expenditure on the
navy.
Costly Naval Pageant.
The spectacle at Hampon Roads this
week Is a magnificent one. but it comes
high The navy bill this session is about
s157, 900. .O00 Next year It viii be much
more, as Senator Hale has pointed out.
and viii run up probably to $3.50, 600 900.
After that, ii Will mount still higher.
Senator Bacon predicts IL viii go 70
S200, 90, ,o00
At any rate, the naval bill next year
will be much larger than the one now
in conference between the two houses.
And the naval bill Is only one OF the
measures that viii experience an in
crease in comparison with the amount
Of this years appropriation
This year, for instance, there is no
public buildings bill At the next regu-
lar session the pressure for a public
buildings bill will be strong Such a
biz would carry S20.O0O,eO0 az west
estimate. II might easily c. nm
S5,Oo0,OoO 10 s1O.OO0OOO more. II be
hard for the next session OF .---s
10 escape from a general public ID
ings bill
All Want Pork.
It has 70 be borne in mind that al tF-
first session OF any new Congress the
hunger for pork IS especially strong,
leaders viii have to be adamantine II
they withstand the clamor for 2 public
buildings measure OF goodIy proper
tons.
Also. there viii be a great cIamor for
a general rivers and harbors bill. This
yeal there IS no general rivers and
harbors measure The bill which is
than slO,O0O.00O. and is largely for the
continuation Of work authorized AM
for surveys. But the next session Of
Congress viii buck the line hard 10 geu
a general bill which Will carry generous
appropriations for river ana harbor nm
prOvements in different sections OF the
United States
Army Expensive, Too.
Just as the navy expenditures keen
growing, ike a rolling SNOWFALL, so il
is with the army. The tendency OF the
bills for the maintenance Of the army
is to Increase from year 10 yea And
so Il is with the bills that relate TO
every department OF the Government.
The new Senator and the new Repre-
sentative are apt TO come to Washing
ton preaching economy and the cutting
down of expeditures in this direction
or that direction It generally comes
20 pass that A short sojourn here leads
the new member 10 ask the question:
Where can the appropriations be CUT
This IS no easy question TO answer
Senators and Representatives who are
fully cOgnizant of the situation are ask
ing themselves anj asking each other
where the money Is 10 come from. It Is
all well enough 10 talk Of bond issues,
but as general proposition the reve-
pueS must meet the expenses
With an enormous deficit OF about
NO0oO,oD when Congress takes up the
tariff. there Is no question that tEe
tariff revision question viii become N
q large measure a revenue question
Must Produce Revenues.
Schedules that produce liberal returns
IN revenue will be left undisturbed. not
for business reasons or out ot consid-
Grafton TO the welfare OF the people who
pay the indirect taxes, but because thsy
add the NEST TO the Treasury
The doubling OF the beer tax. the
imposition Of stamp taxes, a coffee and
tea tax, an inheritance tax. an income
tax. and a tax on corporations for tax
ing out licenses 10 do interstate bust
ness, all are plans which are talked Of
It may be two or three OF these plans
will be adopted II is not likely the in
come tax wYl be ventured on. as there
have been careful Investigations in
high quarters lately which tend 20
show the income tax cannot pass the
ordeal OF the Supreme Court without an
amendment 10 the Constitution.
Neither is a coffee tax likely, as IL
would be extremely unpopular, and the
time has probably not arrived for the
taxation of interstate corporations
Whatever Congress does with the tar
III and in the way Of revision OF the
revenue laws. the Treasury Will not get
returns from the new legislation for
months. The Treasury Sttua ion. how
ever, IS such that early relief is need
fUl.
The Treasury strait will probably be
met early in the next Administration bv
a Panama bond issue. and by the issue
OF certificates of Indebtedness.
This scheme was tried in the recent
panic, and, while il evoked much criti-