The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-27
A BILLION DOLLAR SESSION.
Va. SAYS CHAIRMAN TIWNET
ONLY 4 sDO5 .1DO. OdlO.
4 ~ .0sa.OSo. no session. says II,ins.
sisn. Dem0erat. and - .O3a. OoO. go
session. aals seaatSs Hale Pact u
CongFess AuthaFised %. OaA. ooo. go

ministrAtion, With its promise % retrsnch
msnt and reform, 20 BE- more eKpensiys
than the Roosevelt regime Republicans
and Democrats differ widely on the sub,
Jet and both parties intend 10 uss thsil
particular views for campaign materia
this fall The row over the expenditures
authorized by Congress 81 this session
promises 20 bs lively.
Representative TaWnsy % MinnsaotA
chairman u the Houae Appropriation
Committee. and Representative Living
ston Of Georgia. the senior minority men,
Der ~ the committee. will issue their
annual statement on the subject To-
morrow. Mr.. Tawnsy will contend that
the session Of Congress just ended was
not a billion dollar affair. that the total
amount appropriated was SoO7 .OOO. 600
- compared with 81 OO9OOO. 600 for the
current year and tina, consequently tho
Administration has made good on 10
pledge Of economy.
Mr.. Livingstone statement will AZ the
total amount appropriated this year
a. 81 OSt OOO, 900 A. compared with o. .OtS. =
90 600 last year. and will AsseTt that the
Taft Administration has failed 70 keep
its promise Of retrenchment and hids
fair to he the most expensive in the his
tory Of toe Government
The Republicans aud Democrats always
differ a. 10 the annual cost of running the
Government The TaWney and Living
ston statements seldom agree within .
hundred millions or 40. But this year the
situation 10 complicated by a statement
given out by senator Hale, chairman
Of the senate Appropriation COMMITTEES.
last night. fixing he total of AppropriA-
tons a. the session just closed AZ 81 .O1s,-
900 ON.
When Mr.. Tawnsy read the Hale state
ment ~ shifted and declared that Il was
to thu fart that senator Hale stated On the
foor II the senate Yesterday that he had
not examined the appropriations u the
session in detail and consequently had
not ~ yet prepared a statement. Mr.
Tawney suRgeated tonight that the Hale
tatsment in the morning papsFa Naa an
excellent proof of the Senate's declAra-
ton He also said that LivinEston's
claim that the appropriations this session
aggregated 81 .O54 .OOO ON was ridiculous
Mr.. Livingston remarked that Mr. TAW-
ney's estimate Of SoO7 90 .OO0 was foolish
senator Hale has not commented as bet
on the TaWney and Livingston estimates.
II probably seems odd "a the average
citizen that there should b. any chance
for Disagreement ~ 20 the amount Of
money appropriated by Congress a. any
SESSION i would seem % 10 simple
matter Il determination with the aid
u a pencil and paper or an adding ma
chine Rut it isn't by a long shot. The
Republicans and Democrats invariably
disagree Mr. Tawney Includes in his
total only thoee appropriations which
will b. a charge IN the Treasury in the
fiscal year following the session AZ which
the appropriations are made Mr.. Law
lngston makes HE estimate include al
appropriation. WHISTLER directly made
or authorized for the future II would
seem that senator Hale had in part done
the same thing His statement and that
~ be- issued by Mr. Livingston to-morruW
differ only BY the 81 O0O on authorised in
the public building bill.
The TaWney stAtsmsnt does not Eivs
a correct review u appropriations. said
Mr. Livingston tonight. 1T makes no
difference whether al the money appro-
prir'ed a. the session of Congress Just
ended will he ppent in the next twelve
months. Congress has authorized II
and u thus becomes . Government obi
CATION or debt II h foolish % say that
this was not a hilton dollar session.
understand Mr.. Tawney fires the total az
teU7 90 90 when a. a matter q fact
Congress authorized the expenditure q
81 ,OSt. O0O CO.,
Mr. Tawney was Just a. emphatic in
support u his own contention.
The Democratic he said. in their
annual effort 20 diseredit the Republican
D Irty ard make 10 APPEAR that the Govern
Dent u running not with waste and en-
travA = noe and growing more expensive
year by year make q statement based
on an entirely falss and erroneous e.
sumption II 10 ridiculous 70 call the
session Of Congress just ended q billion
dollar aeadon. That 10 q catch phrase
for campaign purposes. II hAppsned to
be true last year. II IL not true this year /
The grand total Of all appropriations
made by Congress a. the session just ended
which viii Be charge upon the revenues /
during the fiscal year lSii h ssOT .ooa OOo |
II 10 not 81 .O7e ,Ooo CO., the figure which |
appears in the Hale statement, nor q .Osl.- |
Of0 900, the amount hHsd BY Mr. Living /
ston This last total BY Mr. LvinEstOn |
includes every dollar authorized by Con- |
gress 10 be spent In tho future a. well a. |
appropriated for the next fiscal year 4
That method simply makes any state ]
menf Of appropriations absolutely value 4
less for purposes u comparison I can 4
illustrate that very easily Suppose yOu \
include in the total OF appropriation a.
this seahion the 81 90 .O000 aut horized for
the erection Of public buildiags but not
q dollar Of which Ia Appropriated Now
suppose that as OOO.000 u actually Ap-
proprated next year. According 70 the
way the Democrats prepare their annual 4
statement Of how much Il costs 70 run
the Government that ga loo ono would /
Be charged up against the Treasury both
this year and nsxt-Whsn authOrizod and
when appropriated That example alone /
u sufficient 70 demonstrate tho fAllacy
Of making az estimate on that baaia
Sweeping aside al technicalitias. how
ever, the fact remains that Congress-
-authorized' ~ the session lust ended /
the expenditure of o. 90 .0o0, 900, Of which /
probably not more than ooOT 900 ODO will /
como out Of the Treasury during 1911
This accounts for the difsrsncs OF MAJ
600 900 between tho Republican and Demo
cratic elaine
There was some fear In both branches
Of Congress during tho closing dayu Of
the session that Proaidsnt Taft might
consider u Necessary, IN view Of thu
efforts being made By his Administration
20 hold down expenditures, % veto the
iver and harboT and public building
btlls, tho big pork barrel measures 81
tho seauion II he had be would have
reduced the total Of appropriation hy
more than NS.0oOl0O. But "a he didn't.