The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-18
P R j MIN c KNIFE
IS BEING WHETTEO
Democrats Expected to Continue
Policy of Retrenchment in
Next Congress.
Especial to Tho Times.Digpatoh.

tGpeSbhl 10 no IffneS-DtSDQtCh,l
washington, November 17.-word
reached Washington to-day that there
may be warfare among the Democrats
In Congress this winter over the mat
ter Of making appropriations for
rivers and harbors, public buildings,
the construction of additional battle
ships. tho enlargement of tho stand
Ing army Of the country. and other
matters Of similar kind. 1t is to
BIO fight between those members who
Will contend for their usual appropria.
tons regardless Of what the Demo-
Gratis as party may think about cut
ing down governmental expenditures,
and those members of the Ways and
Means and Appropriations Committees
who have already let 1t be noised
ABOUT that the pruning knife is being
whetted in most approved fashion.
Just how far this feeling goes with
members of the Ways and Means Com
mfttee is to be seen from the fact that
member OF this committee to-day.
In answer to question as to what
he expected to get out of the rivers
and harbors bill and other similar
pork barrel" measures, said that he
did not expect to get anything; on
the contrary. that as member Of
the committee Just referred to, he
expected TO do everything possible to
cut down expenditures. The Republi-
cans" he said, "have carried recent
appropriations to such extreme meas
urcs that 1t will be up to the Demo
Gratis to swing the reduction axe, and
for ono. as member OF the Ways and
Means Committee, l mean to do my
part"
1t has been understood for some time
that this would DO the policy of the
Democrats in Congress this winter
ever since last spring. in fact, when
tho Democrats chopped off the heads
OF countless officials around the Capitol,
1t has been recognized that the spirit
of retrenchment was in the air. The
reduction in the force of employees at
that time sent up loud protest, but
the decapitation went on Just the same
and before the Democrats had been n,
control of tho House month numerous
heads filled the official waste baskets
on Capitol Hill.
When 1t becomes generally known
that there is to be opposition to a good,
healthy river and harbor bill, q public
building bill and others, and that the
Democrats are going to oppose the pas
sage of general pension bill and will
likewise fight army and navy appropri-
ations, especially for the construction
or new battleships, II is almost certain
that there will be many protests The
Democrats are not all unit for such
wholesale reduction of appropriations
Many of them say that the people
throughout the country are entitled to
receive continuation of government
appropriations for the development of
their internal improvements Of differ-
ent kinds, and that their constituents
VIII be heard from unless they protest
most vigorously against a pdlicy of
small and insignificant appropriations
AS matter of fact, 1t is quite prob
able, In spite of all the reductionists
in Congress may do, that this session
will be another "billion dollar" Con-
gress. 1t is the long" session The
Democrats are in power In the House,
and have practically control OF the
Senate. Such a situau n has not ex-
listed for almost twenty years. and
may not exist again for another long
period. according to some OF the we'll
posted Representatives who hold men,
bership IN the Sixty-second Congress.
Therefore. they claim that IL they
ever expect to secure anything worth
while for their constituents they must
do II now.
II the Ways and Means Committee
of the House, when Ut meets early In
the coming month to frame up legis-
lation for the coming session. shall
announce Its policy to be one OF cut
looked for. Using the pruning knife
to limited extent. many members
say. is all right, but swinging 1t too
vigorously and cutting too deeply is
ell wrong. P. H. MEG.