Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

priations for the department of the gov
eminent directly under its charge. and
In that way we will necessarily augment
the annual appropriations beyond the
ordinary revenues of the government
Il have had some figures prepared
which shed considerable light upon the
increases that have resulted In the
twelve-year period from 1901 to 1872.
while the bills We're prepared by many
committees, the total appropriations ex-
ceeded those for the last twelve years
prior to the distribution is. from 1919
to 1SS6-by Sc 461 .230.G25.2o or by Eos
per cent. Exclusive of pensions. the in
crease in the total regular appropriations
was $5,232. 80, 1896, or an increase Of
292.S per cent.
Upon the same basis of comparison.
the population of the United States in
creased only I09 per cent. the wealth
only 80 per cent
ITO put it another way: Congress, for
the twelve-year period ending with 1912,
appropriated in regular annual appro-
priations u total of Sl03.23 per capita
Of population. while for the twelve-year
period preceding 1856 it appropriated in
regular annual appropriations a total of
only S4I.aI per capita of population.
Careful study of the statistics ] have
gathered. of which those quoted are
but part, makes it clear that. con-
sidered from any standpoint of the
growth and development of the country
during the periods mentioned, the in
creases in the expenditures of the federal
government are out of all proportion to
the country's growth.
Il am not the only man who has been
chairman of the committee appropria-
tons to hold this view. In 1910 Mr..
James A. Tawney, former chairman
of the committee, wrote:
g This division of jurisdiction and re-
sponsibility in the matter of initiating APP
preparations has contributed more than
n
crease during the recent years. 1t was
predicted at the time by Mr. Randall and
Mr.. Cannon that the amendment to the
rules dividing the responsibility for ap-
preparations pro prG Ito would soon cost the people
$oo,00O,OO0 annually. Our experience
under this rule has demonstrated the
wisdom of these men in opposing the
adoption and the correctness of their
judgment as to it's responsibility for
greatly increasing appropriations for
public expenditures
I'm the same article Mr.. Tawney said
further: The real remedy for unneces-
sarily increasing appropriations lies N
the adoption Of a rule = 80 authorizing the
appointment of one committee sufficient
ly large to represent all sections of the
country. vested with exclusive jurisdic-
ton over all estimates for appropriations.
This would be genuine reform in the
rules of the House. one that would be
of practical benefit to the people. 1t
would save to the federal Treasury from
fifty to seventy-fve millions of dollars
annually.
This is no idle phrase. Every man
who has intimate knowledge of our
chaotic system of congressional finance
knows that it is the exact truth.
While | advocate giving an enlarged
committee on appropriations jurisdiction
over all appropriation bills, ! am opposed
to any movement that might be directed
toward consolidating all appropriation
bills into one. The theory of a CONSOLE
dated appropriation bill is wrong in prin-
ciple. Such bill would require the re-
arrangement of many items and would re-
move many of the most salutary checks
upon expenditures found in our statutes
But only through having a single commit
tee in charge of all appropriation bills
can coherent, logical. harmonious sys-
TEN of congressional finance be worked
out.
The so-called budget committee that
has been proposed, with the accompany
ing plan of Il single budget bilf-or con-
solidated appropriation bill-will offer no
relief. as Mr.. Charles Mccarthy, chief of
the Wisconsin legislative reference de-
partment, has pointed out: The budget
bill . belongs in Q responsible cabi-