The Washington times., 1914-06-28
NEW FISCAL YEAR
NEAR AND NO CASH
Appropriation Bills Held Up in
Congress and Continuing
Resolutions Necessary.

II is no longer open TO question that
TIRE first of the fiscal year will arrive
with a number Of the big appropriation
bills not passed by Congress. This will
cause much embarrassment in the va
rious. departments of the Government
What are known as continuing resolu-
tons will be adopted whereby appro-
priations will be made for a month at
a time on the basis of the existing ap-
preparation acts.
Such appropriations will be charged
against the new appropriation measures
when the latter are finally put through.
This, however, is a more or less clumsy
expedient, and one which gives the de-
pa-tments trouble for the reason they
are not able to go ahead doing things
on the basis Of the new measures for
which they have made their plans.
The result is that many projects are
held up by the Government until the ap-
propriation bills are actually passed
The sundry civil bill, which carries
appropriations for nearly every branch
O. the Government, has occupied long
period of discussion in The House. 1t Is
barely possible it will be passed before
the fiscal wear begins, because the Sem
ate Appropriations Committee, of which
Senator Martin is chairman, intends TO
rush il through the upper house If pos
s!ble 10 do SO.
District Bill In Conference.
The District Of Columbia appropriation
TN n one OF the measures which Is
stin lied up In conference.
Various reasons exist for the delay
IN the enactment OF the appropriations
measures. One OF them Is to be found
in the fact that this session of Con-
eress, though it completed the passage
Of the currency act. following on the
revision Of the tariff by the preceding
session, and though il promises to en-
act trust legislation, has had little sue
cess In dealing with other legislation
The bill for repeal of free tolls, whlcn
was not calculated on at the outset OF
the session, took UP much time. As 10
most general legislation, there has been
g great deal of indifference and little
disposition to speed things up.
Moreover, many OF the approprlatloII
bills have been heavy, and have caused
q lot Of debate. The final enactment
OF the appropriation measures Will snow
that the Democrats have no more Deen
able 10 hold down appropriations tnan
the Republicans. 1t viii be anoIneT
billion-dollar session. and good cea1
more The total of the approprta uon ion
bills will reach the region OF sl,loo.Oo'Uo'
Bills Are Loaded.
The charge that some Of these bills
have been loaded up with indefensiole
appropriations has tended to delay.
Thus, the agricultural bill which came
from the Senate committee with numer-
Gus items which met sharp criticism,
and which 1t was alleged had been
framed to help the South more than any
ether section. provoked great deal OF
Senate controversy.
The river. and karbor bill Is another
Illustration of the same thing.
Advocates Of the budget system OF
appropriations whereby an effective
system of dealing with the appropria-
tons as a whole will be put into force
are making capital out Of the present
situation. They maintain not only that
Il has been fully demonstrated that
there can be no economy uno5- the
existing haphazard system. but that
there is an absence Of partisanship
when Il comes 10 extravaganza They
hold that not until a wise budget sys-
TEN Is evolved Will there be relief and
predict that Congress is going to have
IN the appropriation measures con-
stantly growing elephant on its hands
and will ultimately be forced to the
treatment of these bills on a different
basis.