The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-10-08

Ebonds, Congressman Hull said tn,
conditions at this time are immeas
urably more serious than they wer,
at the outbreak of the Spanish war
Business the world over is paralyzed
he said, our international commerc,
is almost at standstill, and both ou
international credits and eXchang,
have broken down. u
Now we know blind man or ;
driveling idiot knows, he added
that when this war broke out ou
S. 900, 100000 commerce with Ger
many, Belgium, Austria and Euro
pean Russia suddenly went out O.
existence, when our international ex
change broke down, when our eX
ports of $65O,OOO,Ov0 of cotton ant
i $50,00J,00O of tobacco ceased, wher
every class of International business
came to a standstill, the treasury sui
fered losses at the custom house
"The loss for August he showed to be
| ST., 100000, and for September APP.
proximately 10,0O0,OO0, a net loss
of $13,500,000 after dcducting in
| come tax payments.
This is an extraordinary tax i'm.
! posed for extraordinary purposes, :
he continued. while we are not
actually at war, we are actually fac
ing war conditions as much or more
| in some respects, than if we were at
war Our International trade was
never better than during the Spanish
American war, but the only answer
we get from gentlemen on the other
side in their political extremities and
in their favOrite pastime of under
taking to buncO the people again, is
that we ought to be economical My
God! a political organization that
raised the ordinary natural expenses
of government from $460,000,0 in
1897 to 1882, 000,0Ov in 1913, more
than doubled, first, a billion dollar
congress, and second, as rapidly as
they could get to it, two billion
dollar congress, they turn round and
confront us with the impudent sug-
gestion that we should be econom-
ical''
There are some other reliable fig
ures on the economy discussion furI-
ished by Congressman Fitzgerald,
Chairman of the House appropria-
tons committee, which weaken the
attempt of the Republicans to place
the charge of extravaganza against
this Administered ton.
Combating the charges of Repub-
lican speakers that appropriations at
this session exceed those of any
former sessions, Congressman Fitz-
gerald gives figures to show that
excluding the Alaskan railroad flu
ture obligations, sthe $5,1O0;0O0 APP
propriated for the war risk insurance
bureau, and the 100000 appro-
priated for the representation of
foreign governments incident to the
hostilities in Europe, the total APP
preparations and authorizations at
this session aggregate 81, II 1885,
TT, which sum is $S,642,O91 less
than the total appropriations and
subtract authorizations of the last
session of the siXty-second Congress.
1t should not be forgotten Mr..
Fitzgerald said, that many of the
appropriations made at this session |
we're unavoidable because of con-
tract liabilities fastened upon the |
country under legislation and adj |
acts of our Republican |
predecessors, who had undisputed |
control of every branch of the gov
the executive during sixteen years.
To meet contract obligations thus
for public buildings alone
$40, 1865 was appropriated, and
for river and harbor improvements
under contract the further sum of
6,9SS,500, the total Of which ST.
102,16S is included in the grand
total of this sessions work.
Moreover, he calls attention to the
heavy appropriation due to emer-
gency conditions in the present Con-
sress. An increase of $6,O00,0OO in
the army appropriation bill was at
tributed to the disturbed conditions
in Mexico. In addition to this there
was an appropriation of 100000
for the eradication of hog cholera,
$4,000 for aid to agricultural col
|eges, 100000 on account Of the
Salem disaster, 100000 for relief
and transportation of Americans in
Mexico, an increase of $2,00O,000 in
Panama Canal expenditures, $780,
$40 appropriated in q deficiency
measure because of the deplorable'
condition of affairs in Mexico.
Tie administration met these
7mo-gency appropriations, as it met
lhc emergencies themselves,
and with confidence that
he people would support the meas
res taken, and the administration
oaders are confident that the efforts
4 the Republicans to make campaign
ssues out of the emergency will not
appeal to thinking people of the
country.