The Washington herald., 1910-06-27
COST or CONGRESS
POLITICAL CAPITAL


appropriation is made. Livingston makes
his estimate include all appropriations,
whether directly made or authorized IN
the future. II would seem that Senator
Hale has. in part done the same thing.
Mr.. Tawney says:
MIR. Livingstones statement viii fix the
total amount appropriated this year at
81. O54. 100000. as compared with S1.045. 600 00o
last year and Will make the claim that
the Taft administration has failed 20
keep its promise of retrenehment.
Situation Is Complicated. =
The Republicans and Democrats always
differ as TO the annual cost OF running
the government. The Tawney and Liv-
ingston statements seldom agree within
a hundred millions or so. But this year
the situation is complicated by a state
ment given out by Senator Hale last
night fixing the total Of the appropria-
tons at the session just closed at $685.
0c0.O When Mr. Tawney read the Hale
statement he shifted and declared it was
entirely inaccurate. He called attention
to the fact that Senator Hale stated on
the floor of the Senate that he had not
examined the appropriations Of the SEES
sion In detail. He said that Livingston
claim that the appropriations this session
aggregated S1,054, 900 was ridiculous. "
Mr.. Livingston remarked that Mr.
Tawney's estimate Of 100000 was fool
ish."
Thinks Data Distorted.
1.-THE Democrats" he said, I'm their
annual effort TO discredit the Republican
party and make it appear that the gov
eminent Is running riot with waste and
extravaganza, and growing more expen-
sive year by year. make a statement
based upon an entirely false and erro-
neous assumption.
1.-THE grand total of all appropriations
made by Congress at the session just
ended. which will be q charge upon the
revenues during the fiscal year 1911. 1:
s9Oi. O00.0o0 II is not S1.026. 10000, the fig
ure which appears In the Hale statement
nor Sl.054. 10000, the amount claimed By
Mr. Livingston. This last total include:
every dollar authorized by Congress L
| be spent in the future. as we'll as thai
| appropriated for the next fiscal year
That method simply makes any state
ment OF appropriations absolutely value
| less for purposes OF comparison. / car
! illustrate that very easily
Suppose you include in the total Of
| appropriations at this session the S23,
co., 600 authorized for the erection Of pub
/ lie buildings. but not a dollar Of which
/ is appropriated Now suppose that S2S,
| 0O0,000 is actually appropriated next year.
According 10 the way the Democrat.
prepare that annual statement of how
much II costs 20 run the government
/ that S23000,000 would be charged VI
against the Treasury both this year and
next-when authorized and when appro
priated. That example alone IS sufh
cient TO demonstrate the fallacy Of max
/ ing an estimate on that basis"
But sweeping aside all technicalities
| Ii remains a fact that Congress author
/ lied" ar the session Just ended, th'
! expenditure of S1.054000.000, OF whici
probably not more than 1907 900, 900 vii
| come out Of the Treasury during 1911
! This accounts for the difference OF S1E7.
! 100000 between the Republican and Dem
oeratic claims.
The fact seems TO remain that the frs
Taft Congress has obligated the govern
ment 10 the payment OF 100000 NOR
than did the great biIlion-dollar Con
gress in the last year Of the Roosevelt
regime.