Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-11-25
HUGE sum WANTED
NEXT YEARS ESTIMATES FOR
RUNNING GOVERNMENT ARE
$3.50, ooo, 600.
M'AD00 MAY CUT THEM DOWN
Opponents of Majority Party Say
Economy Commission Which 1t
Abolished Showed That Millions
Could Be Saved Each Year.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington at the regu-
FAR session will be asked to appropri-
ate $1,25O,O00,000 to run the govern.
ment from June 80. 1914. to June 8,
1915. Each cabinet offico. has pre-
pared his estimate of the expenses of
MS department and the word is that
each secretary has attempted to keep
ms estimates within economic limits.
Even If that be granted, the an cunt is
greater than that ever asked before,
except in war years.
Inc estimates will go to Secretary
OF the Treasury McAdoo, who will sub
mith them to congress, and it may be
that when he gets them he will at
tempt to use the blue pencil with such
a diplomatic stroke that it will not Of
fend his brother secretaries, who are
quite certain that what they have
asked is the lowest possible"
me Democrats are worried over the
increasing expenses OF the govern
ment. Their worry is greater because
they deliberately and as a party meas
ure abolished the commission on econ
omy and efficiency, which said it had
plans under way to save the govern
ment good many millions a year
without Gripping the service in any
department. 1t is true that the Dem
ocrats have an economy commission
composed of the chiefs of two or three
bureaus in the department of COM
merce, but there has been no definite
report made thus far which will en-
able the administration to cut hard
enough to save congress from what
some Of its members seem to fear win
be extravagant appropriations.
Charge is Hard to Dodge.
The income tax will give the treas
ury considerable additional money,
more than enough probably to offset
the reduction in revenue under the
new tariff bill. 1t has been suggested
by some Of the Democrats that the
excuse of plenty of money is not
valid one with which to meet the
charges of extravaganza. President
Wilson unquestionably wants to keep
the expenses of the department at the
lowest possible figure, and it may be
that the $1,25O,O00,O0O which will be
asked will be necessary to meet the
valid expenses of the government. 1t
is probably true that the cabinet off
GERS have kept things down as we'll
as they can, but the plaguing thing
is the charge that if the plans of the
economy commission which was abol-
ished had been followed, the depart
ments could get just as much out Of
$900,000.000 as they can out of three
million and quarter more.
1t was not 50 many years ago that
congressman representing a then mi
nority party talked about the extrava-
gance Of the opposition party and
spoke of the possibilities of a billion
dollar congress. Probably no one at
that time believed that there ever
would be a billion-dollar congress, but
1t came some time ago and now there
is the billion-dollar session, "and
then some" The activities of the gov
eminent are growing and there are
more people under the flag by many
millions than there were some years |
ago. Naturally 1t costs more money
to run things than formerly it did, but
the criticism of the opposition is and
will be all through the next session
that the Democrats repudiated the
only means which would make saving
possible. The majority party men say,
however, that they win show a real
saving intention and that criticism is
made for party reasons.
House May Need New Leader.
Democrats In the house of repre-
sentatives, and Democrats elsewhere,
too, for that matter. are deeply inter
ested in the outcome of the senatorial
race in Alabama, where Oscar w. I'm |
derwood, the present house leader, and |
representative Richmond Pearson !
Hobson are rival candidates for the
United States senatorship. II Mr.. I'm
derwood is elected the Democrats OF |
the house will have to cast about for a
new leader They did not want Under
wood TO enter the senatorship race in
Alabama, for they were puzzled about
the succession to the leadership. Mr..
OAuS4 WOOuB nCNcNSA, III lnc IdCS
and so 1t may be some new man In
the near future must take the leader
ship OF the Democracy In the popular
legislative branch of the government
In q great many ways Mr.. Under
wood has been an ideal leader OF his
party In the house. II he had not
been personally popular 1t Is probable
he would not have received such earn
est and instant support at tire time
when his position concerning the steel
trust and the tariff was attacked by
Mr.. Bryan in the Commoner.
OF course, by the time Underwood
gets into the senate, or by the time
he Is defeated for 1t and Is out OF the
house anyway, there will be new
lower house in existence. but the rule |
is never to make new man leader, |
and so some one of the present mem
bership who survives the election of |
next fall must step into Leader I'm |
derwood's shoes II he leaves the house,
either as senator or as result of his |
attempt to be one.
Successor Hard to Pick.
The men most prominent in their
parties in the house of representatives
either are made chairmen of the great |
<~~O~~-N~~~~~~~~~~~~~-~~