Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-24

mittee on ways and means, on the one
hand. determined the revenues of the
government or provided the laws Tor
raising them, and, on the other hand,
determined the appropriations and
measured the expenditures.
But for many years in our Congress
these functions have been divided. The
revenues are provided by the ways and
means committee of the house and the
finance committee OF the senate and
submitted to their respective houses
while the appropriations are mace oy
the appropriations committees OF the
house and senate. and In too many
Instances, without apparent reference
TO the revenues which are to be avail
able to meet the appropriations,
''It has so happened that in many
wears of the past the revenues have in
creased more rapidly than the expendi-
lures, and there has been surplus In
the life of the Dingley BILL which car
ried us from 1896 to190S. the appropria-
tlons exceeded the expenditures by
about $3.50 900, COO; but the surplus took
nlace In the early years, so that in 1908
We had a deficit and in 1909 we had
| deficit.
DEFICIT LIKELY.
1.-The calculations of the secretary of
the treasury for the present year show
| SS4 O0O, 900 In respect to ordinary re-
| ceipts and expenditures. l am glad to
| saw that the operations of the now
tariff bill has been so much more pro-
ductiye OF income that this deficit for
the current year Is likely to be con-
siderably reduced. In addition, how
ever, to the ordinary deficit we haVo
| to add the Panama canal expenditure
| for immediate provision OF the $3S,0p0
| 600. or. what was estimated to be
| total deficit of $4,000, ,0O0 is now re-
| duced considerably by the better gates
| under the present tariff bill
by meeting the expenditures on the
Panama canal with the proceeds of
| bond issues. we have enough cash In
| the treasury to meet the deficit In our
| ordinary expenses for the current year,
| and IL we meet the expenditures on tho
| Panama canal for the following year
We shall have surplus of $35000.0 600;
| or, IL the revenue producing capacity
of the new tariff keeps up to Its present
| indications, this surplus may be in
creased to $5o.o00.0 900. On the other
hand, II the Congress proposes to add
to the expenditures of the government
over those estimated for new enter-
prises In the river and harbor bill. and
for the construction of the federal
buildings under a building act, 1t VIII
be easy to consume or exceed the en-
| tire surplus.
Everyone must admit the wisdom OF
providing for the payment of the canal
Expenditures by bonds This ia work
of permanent character. and it seems
only fair that that which we provide
in such genrous measure for postcrity
should be paid for In part, Mt least, by
posterity
Not only is such a principle just in
the case like the Panama canal, but 1t
seems to be appropriate to adopt II
with reference to other projects.
refer to those definite projects that
have been agreed In respect to the i'm
provement of our inland waterways.
| would not begin the expenditure Of
money on any project the wisdom ot
which had not been fully vindicated;
but having determined to put through
the improvement. it ought not TO he
done by fits and starts, but it ought
TO be done as one job
This statement has peculiar appli-
cation to the river and harbor bill
which now has passed the house. The
Ohio Improvement to cost S63 900. GOO, i;
entered uron and an appropriation
made for It's continuation. The same
thing is true OF the Improvement o.
the Mississippi from st Paul TO st
Louis and the same river from st
Louis 60 Cairo, and of the Missour
river from Kansas City to st Louis
These projects seem to be warranted b.
the traffic in sight.
PANAMA CANAL.
while I am dealing with the Pan
anna canal, however. l ought to rcfe
! to the discrepancy between estimated
: cost of the enterprise and the actua
. cost. as we arc now able TO fix II wit
l. considerable accuracy within four O
y Ave years OF its completion
The estimated cost of the engineer
. Ing and construction of the canal va
d $139 10000. Its actual cost for en-
y glneerlns and construction Will
u $297 100000. an increase OF s151 300 00O
: This increase Is to be explained. frs
D by the great appreciation in the cos
! OF labor and material by the tim
when the estimate was made in 19C
4 and the time when the work was don
between 1904 and 1909; second, by tn
fact that the canal has been enlarge
| substantially beyond tho original dl
| mensions estimated for.
/ you know that the great work {
excavation in the canal is called I'll
Il Culebra cut This Is where the back
| bone Of the continent reduced to lowe,
| height is cut. and through fve miles {
l that cut which Is about nne milo
| long, for purposes of economy, III
original plan and estimate made Il,
bottom of the canal in the rock q
! feet wide. This would not enable tvs