St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-03-16
Sen. Pages Good Sense.

Anyone who watches the Congress
sional Record will notice that Sen. c. S.
Page from Vermont is keeping close
watch of what is being done and is not
afraid to express his ideas. Last week
when bill providing for the erection of
building for the departments of State
| and Justice was before the Senate he
| made some remarks that are so good we
reproduce them.
Mr.. President, / confess / am very
| much interested in the remarks of the
Senator from Georgia. He says that 4he
is opposed to the issuance of bonds to
pay for these buildings and so am l.
believe we ought to pay our bills as we
go along, barring, perhaps, the expense
of the canal or some other large improve
ment which may be called for in the
shape of the development of waterways.
I>sit here and see small appropriations
made, and [ think perhaps we can meet
them out of the current income of the
Government; but when we come to
appropriations of $12, 100000 am led
to wonder whether we are not paying
out more than we will receive. | should
like to ask the Senator from West
Virginia if the grand aggregate of our
appropriations is not, in his judgment,
likely to exceed this year by very large
sum the amount of our income?
Senator Scott evaded that question
and criticized the erection of so many
public buildings all over the country.
Sen. Page replied as follows
Mr. President, l want to say to the
Senator from West Virginia that l have
been appealed to by cities in my own
State to ask for an appropriation this
year for public buildings, and my answer
not ask for an appropriation for
Vermont this year; we are trying to live
within our income" Much as I would
like to see everything that we ought to
have provided for, l want to ask a
question as go along, whether we are
not exceeding our income. Are we not
facing a deficit at the end of the first
fiscal year of the present administration?
l am not making these remarks be-
cause propose to vote against this bill.
but do feel that as we go through these
appropriation bills we ought to carry
out the principle as far as we can that
we will not spend more than we earn.
That is my education, and | want to see
it applied to the running of the Govern
ment. When we get to it. the Govern
ment is simply an aggregation of bust
ness enterprises brought together here.
I should like to have measure of
economy developed which 1 sometimes
feel does not exist in Congress. because
when we get through with the aggre-
gate of all these appropriations 1 want
to see them come pretty nearly within
our income; and if we can not bring them
there, should like to see little pairing
done, even though it may seem to be
overprudent.
wish l might know. as the Senator
from West Virginia suggests, that the
Government may borrow all the money
it wanted at per cent. That is not my
idea of the case today. If we have a
deficit for two OF three years, | think it
will be very difficult indeed for US to Dor
row money at 2 per cent. 1t is not in
the market today, as l understand it,
and do not think that we can see it if
we continue the large measure ofexpendi-
lures now INDUCED in.
These principles if adhered to would put
stop to much of the criticism ofgovern-
ment extravaganza that is made today.
Congress needs more men of the stamp
of Sen. Page.