Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-22
BIC FIGHT AHEAD
OVER THE BUDGET
Chairman Fitzgerald to Speak
in the House on Subject
Next tuesday.
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS
DIVIDED ON QUESTION
Representative Sherley Of Appropria-
tons Wants Budget Committee
to Oversee All Expenditures.

""e' representative Fitzgerald Of
New York. chairman Of the. House COM
inlttee on appropriations delivers a
speech on the subject of appropria-
lions Tuesday afternoon he will touch
upon subject which will eventually
eliminate in one OF the gigantic strug-
giles OF American legislation. Mr.. FitZ-
gerald Is an opponent Of what Is com
monty called the budget system" He
advocates one big appropriations COM
mittee to deal with all appropriations.
instead OF having supply bills distrib-
uted over the House in the naval com
mittee. military committee, rivers and
harbors committee, etc. Representa-
tive SherleY Of Kentucky, a member
of the appropriations committee and
chairman Of the Notifications subcom-
mittee, is the greatest House advocate
Of the budget system.
There is crying need for some sort
of reform in the preparing and han
ding of appropriations, according to
one section Of the House membership.
and there are several methods pro-
posed to effect the reform. Mr.. Sher
ley says the present system Is an in
defensible one. He claims 1t Is with
out aim and 1T allows a dozen commit
tees to endeavor to get as much for
their special pet projects as possible.
For Budget Committee.
Therefore, the proposal which Mr.
Sherley makes is to establish a budget
committee, composed Of sixteen major
ity members and nine minority mem
bers. The duty of this committee
would be to survey the government s
probable income for the coming year
and, having arrived at the conclusion.
| apportion to each appropriating com
mittee a sum for spending beyond
| the sum total of the governments
spending would not exceed the govern
| ment's receipts.
Il insist that one of the most vicious
things in America" said Mr.. Sherley
| recently, has been the constant rails
| ing of revenue without any considera-
| ton of the needs of revenue for the
purpose of government. AS result
| of that-having country whose tax
limit has never been approached, let
alone reached--we have at times piled
up great SURPRISES in the Treasury
a constant invitation to extravaganza
| in expenditures
| Mr.. Sherley Is severe at times In MS
| criticism of present appropriating meth
| DDS as allowed under the rules of the
| House. and claims that there is imminen,
| need for change so that the object OF
appropriation legislation would always
| De TO discover now the ulOHeE spent CdI
| best serve America and not to find gu
| how much money can be spent He also
| SAYS the present method temptS govern
| ment departments to exercise their inge-
! nuity to the limit in order to find ways to
| spend money.
Final Say With House.
The last time Mr. Sherley spoke in the
House on the budget subject Representa-
1 9 Cd i'm n
| budget committee would not result in too
| great a power being centered with few
men, but Mr.. Sherley replied that the
| House itself should ratify the budget
| committees recommendations.
| Another argument of Mr.. Sherley's Is
| that the present method of appropriating
| money by the millions Of dollars at a time
| prevents the country from knowing how
| much of the peoples money will be spent
until after 1t is appropriated and prac-
| tically spent.
| That in effect is true. The departments
| make up their estimates, in which then
requests are outlined in detail and sub
ury on or before october ID of each year
and aft,r that all committee work In
| the House is dark secret until after the
appropriation bills are reported to the
| House. Representative Sherley believes
that the country should be told at the be-
ginning of each Congress exactly what
| money the country will get and how Con-
| gress thinks that money should be spent.
American People Careless.
"~ ny is it that the American people
are so Indifferent to expenditure asks
Mr.. Sherley. us it that they are eX-
| travagant? Is it that they accept in a
| loose way the statement of a former
| Speaker that this is billion-dolar coun-
| try, and therefore we should have "a bill
| lion dollar Congress? No. The reason is
| that the people have never had their at
| tention called to this broad aspect of ex-
penditure.
| Mr.. Sherley points out that even after
appropriating committees bring in a lib
erai bill the chairman has to fight in the
| committee on the whole to keep the
| total of the bill from being increased
and lays it to the ambition of individual
congressman to make a name for them
selves by getting through some special
project which will enhance their politi-
| cal reputation back home.
ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO KILL.