Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-24
DESPITE ECONOMY AGITATION
APPROPRIATIONS WILL REACH
A BILLION.
RETRENcHMENT MOVEMENT
STRIKES MANY sNAGs
Some Saving Made in Executive De-
partmsnt Expenditures But Congress
Itself Can Not Got Away From the
Pork BarreI-PossibIe That Public
Building Bill Will Not Pass.
Especial correspondence.l

| lSpeC1al correspondence
Washington, Feb. 24.-Despite the
astonishing statement of Senator Aid
rich, chairman of the finance commit
| tee, on the floor Of the senate, that il
| he were permitted to do it, as bus
mess man, he could run the govern
| ment of the United tSates for $780,
oO0,OO0 a year less than it Is being run
for, there is little sign that the econo-
my which is being so much talked of
VIII effect any large reductions in the
| gross total of the appropriations made
by this session of congress.
In other words, it looks as if this
session OF congress would still be en-
titled to the distinction of being one
of the billion-dolla sessions.
Senator Aldrich told the senate in
the discussion that he had no doubt
that 10 per cent of the cost of running
the government could be saved by the
proposed business methods commits
sion. He thought s100.OoO,OOo a year
could be saved easily and believed a
great deal more than that could be
saved. 1t was in this connection he
made the assertion that he could run
Inc LOT less
than it now costs to run it. He declared
no intelligent observer in congress or
out was not aware that the business
of the government was carried on
either under obsolete business methods
or without any business methods at
all.
Senator Aldrioh's remarks as a ter
v.if 1n oyv-o icyy, nof Nf Of
ficiency in the management of pub
lie Office
Some Snaes in the Way.
But while Senator Aldrich talks Of
saving s300,0o0,0 900, which would mean
cutting the expenses 80 per cent, and
while Senator Bourne believes that
great good can be effected by calling in
experts of the Standard Oil Company.
the Steel Corporation and other great
concerns. to demonstrate how the gov
eminent ought to be run, the facts as
now strongly indicated, are that when
the appropriation measures are all
passed and signed up and their totals
footed it will be found the economy
movement has struck good many
snags.
About the appropriations commit
tees the talk is that If congress at this
session appropriates less than the last
regular session 1t will be a source Of
general surprise to the insiders. Many
Of them will be gratified If the tota!
of last regular session is not exceeded.
The total of the appropriations at
the last regular session was about ST.
04O, 900 900. This was the record break
er Of appropriations in the history OF
the republic.
Something Has Been Accomplished.
The efforts of the administration to
hold the appropriation measures down
have accomplished something. That is
already clear. But such savings as
have been made by pairing the esti-
mates of the departments, seem likely
to be made up or more than made up
in other ways. For instance, It has
been pretty well settled that a river
and harbor bill will be passed. One
has passed the house. The senate COM
merce committee is working on one