The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-03-17
Billion Dollar Session.


Congress aggregated STOPS, ,4So, 662
according TO the statements issued by
former Representatives Tawney, of Min
nesota, and Livingston, of Georgia, who
were respectively chairman and ranking
Democrat of the House Appropriations
Committee in the last Congress. Mr..
Tawney says this is less than 81, 600 600
in excess of the total estimates of Presi-
dent Taft on which the appropriations are
based, pays high tribute to the Executive
for good faith in scrutinizing estimates,
and computes that the surplus of reven-
ues next year will be not less than S26,-
542 900, which with any part OF the Treas
ury cash balance may be applied to the
sinking fund
Against this Mr.. Livingston says the
last sessions record demonstrated that
until the Democratic party comes into
complete control of the Government
this billion-dollar mark for a session S
appropriations, established four years ago
at the first session of the Sixtieth Con-
gress, cannot be substantially lowered if
lowered at all "
Mr.. Tawney renews his recommended
ton for the consolidation OF the appro-
priating 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 import
ant
The Committee on Appropriations,
which report more than half of the total
appropriations of Congress, reported dur
ing the first regular session of the last
Congress SI6.o33o25 less than the esti-
mates, while the appropriations by all
the other approprating committees,
according to Mr.. Tawney, were S27,e3I,-
4o2 IN excess of the estimates. Mr.. Taw-
nev claims that if this consolidating
reform had been effected it would have
saved S62, ooo, 600 at that session alone.
Mr.. IaWney SAYS one of the evils Incl
dent TO this divided appropriation juns-
dlcton is the practice of making appro-
prlatlons 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 81 ooo, 600 for the Appalachian
forest reserve, is s., soc. 900 less than the
aggregate for the preceding session of
Congress, and that the aggregate of the
entire last Congress. which exact aggre-
gate is not given in his statement, is an
increase OF $6odooo over the preceding.
Congress.
Mr.. Tawney says that in the six years
of his Craftsmanship of the Appropriations
Committee the estimates have amounted
to S6,o6I, ,257,I32, of which Congress
granted all but sos COZ, 264
Declaring that the Democrats want to
save the people of this country from the
danger which threatens them because of
the rampant expenditure of their money
that has been going on for the past II
years" MIR. Livingston in his statement
contends that militarlsm is menace and
that Democratic accession will prevent
national bankruptcy. He says it is a
superhuman task to restore expenditures
to normal level because of the enormous
liability fastened upon the Treasury 'by
the statutory Increase of the enlisted
strength of the army and the navy, four
fold since Mr.. Roosevelt was so unhap-
PLY called to the Executive Office of the
Republic"
Sounding note of alarm against
threatened onerous" direct tax with all
its nquisltorial features Mr.. Livingston
says that if that day comes, ''the people
will rise in their might with cry that will
be heard to the remotest corners of the
earth and shake from themselves and the
posterity the manacles of burdensome
taxation fostered by the Republican party.
That day is not distant unless we stop
instanter in this precipjtous, money vast
ing race we are now engaged in"
MIR. Livingston says the nations of the
old world stand agape and wonder over
the magnitude of appropriations and in
creased Federal activity. He compares
appropriations for the Fifty-third Con.
gress. the last Democratic one, aggregat-
ing $9I7,eI3,523, with those of the last
Congresses for the two fiscal years 1911
and 1912, aggregating $2,o53, 3oI, 2eI, and
declare that in IL years there has been
more than 500 per cent. increase in all
expenditures, the army and navy each
increasing more than 400 per cent He
bespeaks for the incoming Democratic
House economy particularly in the Gov
ernment departments relating to the
enormous expenditures for war pur-
poses"