The Washington herald., 1915-01-02
PRESIDENT BROKE
Law, Mann SAYS
Congress Has Heard No Sug-
gestions on Annual Ap-,
preparations.
EXPENSES OVER REVENUE
Book of Estimates Shows Country S
Needs $I,090,775,I34 and Its
Income $I,055, 100000.

Republican leaders charge the Wilson
administration with evadingS Sthe law that
Is supposed to govern the President and
! the Secretary of the Treasury in pre-
pairing the estimates annually submitted
to Congress. This law says in case the
estimated appropriations are in excess
Of the estimated revenues that the Sec
rotary of the Treasury shall give the
President all the facts, and that he may
sdvise Congress AS TO what appropria-
tiOns should be reduced. or to recon-
mend such loans or new taxes as may
! be necessary to cover the deficiency
| hhe book Of estimates submitted to
Congress at the beginning of the session
calls for i total appropriation of $I,O9O,-
| T5,lS+ The Secretary of the Treasury
has estimated that the revenues i'm the
new fiscal year will run up to 81. .O55, 40, OOO
The excess of appropriations over esti-
mated revenues therefore is in excess
OF S3j,0Oo,O0O. The duty of the President
and the Secretary of the Treasury In
such circumstances is set forth in the act
| OF March J. 1909 as follows:
Immediately upon the receipt OF the
regular annual estimates of appropria-
| tionS needed for the various branches OF
| the government it shall be the duty OF
the Secretary of the Treasury to Csti-
! mate as near as may be the revenue of
| the government for the ensuing fiscal
year. and if the estimates for appropria-
tions, including the estimated amount
necessary to meet all continuing and per-
manent appropriations. shall exceed the
estimated revenues the Secretary of the
! Treasury shall transmit the estimates to
Congress as heretofore required by law
and at once transmit a detailed state
ment OF all of said estimates to the Pres
ident. to the end that he may, in giving
Congress information OF the state OF the
| Union and in recommending to their con-
sideration such measures as he may judge
necessary, advise the Congress how, in
his judgment, the estimated apprOpria-
tions could with least injury to the public
service be reduced SO as to bring the
appropriations within the estimated reve-
nues, or, If such reduction be not in his
Judgment practicable without undue in
jury TO the public service, that he may
recommend to Congress such loans or
new taxes as may he necessary to cover
the deficiency.
Mann Wants Explanation.
Commenting on the law quoted and the
failure Of the administration to com
municate with Congress on the subject
of the estimates. Representative James
r. Mann, OF Illinois. the Republican
leader OF the House, said yesterday:
In view of the fact that the esti-
estimated revenues, the President has
plainly evaded the law by failing to com
municate with Congress on this question
OF course, the Secretary of the Treasury
has made it appear by eliminating the
amount needed for the sinking fund, the
appropriation for the Panama Canal, and
other items that the estimated revenues
are in excess of the estimated appropria-
tions. But the fact remains that the
book Of estimates calls for a total appro-
priation of 81, 90 775, 134.5s, while the reve
nucs. according to the estimate of the
Secretary of the Treasury, will be 81 ,oj5.-
10000. If the Secretary of the Treasury
has certified the facts to the President
according to law, the President has been
dereliCt, for Congress has received no
communicate tion from him suggesting how
the estimates may be cut, or any recon-
mendation as to how money shall be
raised to make up the difference between
the estimated appropriation and the esti-
mated revenues.
AS l have said before. this admins
tration has no thought of economy, ana
has gone back on its word, pledged in
the campaign of 1872, that it would re-
trench if elevated to power. / think that
the administration should make som
explanation of its failure to comply wit
the law of March 4, l9O9.'