Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-11

It is the usual thing for the ranking
member of the minority on the House ap-
propriations committee to call attention at
the close of each session to the extrava-
gance Of the majority in the allottins Oh
the public money. No representative IN
such a position would regard his year S
work as complete without thus adver-
Using the prodigality of the party IN
power and proclaiming the superior apii-
ity of the opposition to manage the coun-
try's finances.
Mr.. Livingston. who unfortunately re-
tires from Congress for the lack OF ap-
probation at home for his undouoted TAI
ents as a legislator. comes forward with
the customary claim that the republican
appropriation work has been lavish ana
wasteful and that the democrats VIII 90
much better by the taxpayers when they
get a chance. Their chance Is at mana
They have been commissioned by the
country to start the appropriations work
In the House, and next winter the test
of their performance will come.
Rarely does an opposition manage to
effect anything like as great retrench-
ment as It advertises In advance. 1t sees
things from the minority viewpoint. and
out of proportion. The lack Of respon-
sibility deprives 1t OF keen sense OF
measurement. 1t serves a good purpose
as a check upon extravaganza, and when
in time it becomes the majority and the
erstwhile majority drops back into sec
ond place the latter takes up the role Of
critic and Is ready to declare that ex-
travagance is rampant.
The truth Is, there is no use trying to
run the United States parsimoniously.
The annual expenses could be cut down
perhaps by 80 or 20 per cent. but at
tremendous sacrifice. Pensions might be
cut of entirely. saving an enormous sum,
but deeply shocking the country. All
military expenditures might be whitfield
down to a minimum, leaving the United
States in a condition inviting attack from
abroad and exposing it to internal tur-
moii. The departmental service might be
trimmed to meager allowances, low
though the present pay scale is, and the
government would suffer the certain con-
sequences of cheapened administration.
The Panama canal work might be aban-
doned. The improvement Of rivers and
harbors might be suspended. The recla-
nation work might be stopped. All pub
lie building work might be dropped. All
works in behalf OF the public health
might be curtailed Appropriations for
the Indians might be denied. All
these things might be done. and the gov
eminent at Washington would still live.
But how?
There is no popular demand for econo-
mics Of this character. The people are
not grooming under the burden of taxa
ton for the support Of the government
They want some relief from the Excess
sive cost of living. but they do not for a
moment attribute their troubles on that
score to the size of the annual appropria-
tions. For every voice raised for lower
budgets scores are heard for larger al
lotments Of federal funds for this, that
and the other object in which neighbor-
hoods, states and sections are interested.
When the democratic party takes
charge in the House it will find the way
Of the economist a hard one to travel. 1t
may succeed in trimming off few mil
lions from the bills, but the net savings
will be picayune compared with the
needs. the unmistakable requirements Of
the government 1t will do we'll to pro-
coed on the theory that the appropria-
tons are in fair measure representative
of the country's necessities and obLga-
tons and not try for record which can
not stand analysis.