The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-03-14
Use BIG SUM
Congress Appropristes Oger One Billion
Dollars Last Session.
NEAR THE ESTIMATES

NEAR THE ESTIMATES
According to Both Tawney and Liv-
ingston This Exceeds President
Taft's Figures by Only One Million
Dollars When he Estimated
. Amount do Run the Government.
Appropriations Mt the last session
Of congress aggregated $1,025,4 ,4ss.-
S62, according to the statements is
sued Friday by Former Representa-
tiVev Tawney of Minnesota and Liv-
ingston of Georgia, who were re-
spectively chairmen and ranking
Democrat of the house appropriations
committee In the last congress. Mr..
Tawney saying this is less
than S1,0OO,000 in excess of the
total estimates of President TAFT on
which the appropriations are based,
pays high tribute ito the executive
for good faith in scrutinizing esti-
mates and computes that the sur
plus of revenues next year will be not
less than s26,542,000, which, with
any part of the treasury cash balance,
may be applied to the sinking fund.
Against this Mr.. Livingston says
the last session record demonstrated
that when the Democratic party
comes into complete control Of the
government, this billion dollar mark
for sessions appropriations estab-
lished four years ago at the first ses-
sion Of the Sixtieth congress-, can not
be substantially lowered, IL lowered
at ALL"
Mr.. TaWney renews his recommen-
dation for the consolidation of the
approrriatng Jurisdiction Of the
house under a single committee OF
sufficient size to be representative of
all sections of the country and Of all
branches OF the public service. Eight
committees now. consider and report
appropriation bills and Mr.. Tawney
says no reform is more important.
The committee on appropriations,
which reports more than half Of the
total appropriations Of congress, re-
ported during the first regular ses-
sion Of tha last congress S16,s33,s25
less than the estimates, while the ap-
propriations by all the other appro-
priating cYmmittees, according to Mr.
-Tawney, rrere S27,931, 400 In excess
of the estimates. Mr.. Tawney claims
that It this consolidating reform had
been effected, it would have saved
100000 at that session alone.
Mr.. Tawney says one of the evils
incident to this divided appropriation
jurisdiction is the practice Of making
appropriations Immediately available,
large portions of many appropriation
bills being in fact designed to cover
up deficiencies in the preceding year.
He points out that the aggregate for
the past session, which includes S4,-
100000 for the Appalachian forest
reserve, is $2,500,000 less than the
aggregate for the preceding session
of congress and that the aggreate
of the entire last congress, which eX-
act aggregate is not given in his
statement, is an increase Of 100000
over the preceding congress.
Mr. Tswney says that in the six
years of his craftsmanship Of the ap-
preparations committee the estimates
have amounted to s6,061,257,132, of
which congress granted all but $780,
66z,264.
Declaring that the Democrats want
to save the people Of this country
from tho danger which threatens
them because of the rampant expen-
diture Of their money that has been
going on for the past IL years, Mr..
Livingston in his statement contends
that militarism Is a menace aud that
Democratic accession will prevent ma
tional bankruptcy. He says it Is a
superhuman task to restore expendi-
lures to normal level because of the
enormous liability fastened upon the
treasury ''by the statutory increase of
the enlisted strength Of the army and
navy four-fold since Mr.. Roosevelt
was so unhappily called to the execu-
tive Office of the republic"
Sounding note Of warning
against Threatened onerous" direct
tax with all its inquisitorial features,
Mr.. Livingston said that If that day
comes, 1.-The people will rise in their
might with cry that will oe heard
to the remotest corners of the earth
and shake from themselves and their
posterity the manacles Of burden
some taxation fostered by the Repub-
lican party. That day is not distant
unless we stop instanter in this pre-
cipitatious, money wasting race We
are now engaged in"
Mr.. Livingston says the nations Of
the old world stand agape and won
der over the magnitude of appropri-
ations and increased federal activity.
He compares appropriations for the
Flfty-third congress, the last Demo-
cratic one, aggregating S917,013,523,
with those of the past congress for
the two fiscal years of 1911 and 1912,
aggregating s2,053,391,291 and de-