The Republican journal., 1915-09-30
Letter from Washington.

WASHINGTON, Sept. q, 1916. Vast
governmental operations involving the
expenditure of more than one hundred
million dollars were practically paralyzed
for over month last year by failure of
the Democratic Congress to properly en-
act necessary legislation.
The "tie-up" was paramount to a
strike with hundreds of thousands of
men idle, according to government Of
ficials charged with expenditure of the
funds controlled by the legislation. The
amount was contained in what is popu-
larly termed the "sundry civil' bill. In
order to carry out the plans on which it
was based, the bill had to be passed by
June Both. 1t did not pass until more
than month later. For the intervening
time none of the future work contem-
plated in the LEGISLATION could be started.
1t would take hundreds of pages to
describe the disastrous resu Y If this
needless delay. Only mer - an be
given of the activities tn. 90 .llul, .P'
bill provided for. 1t is one of the largest
supply bills Congress handles, and in
cluded nearly four million dollars for i'm
provements and maintenance of soldiers
homes; two and half millions for the
protection of public health; seven mil
lions and more for keeping up life saving
stations and lighthouses; over one mil
lion for Notifications on the Panama
Canal; over three and half millions to
enable the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to continue the physical valua-
ton of railroads and other important
activities; more than thirteen millions
for building quarantine stations, hos
pitfalls and other public buildings thereto
fore authorized; and numerous other less
striking features.
at is imperative that funds for pur-
poses like this shall be made available
with the beginning of the fiscal year."
said a government official in discussing
this subject. every days delay after
that is nearly total loss. Funds really
ought to be ready by May LIST of each
year; but to fail to provide them by July
LIST, and have to resort to resolutions
continuing old appropriations, as Con-
gress was forced to do in this instance,
is sheer waste.
From ten to fifteen per cent of the
amount of an appropriation is a total
loss if it is not passed before July LIST.
If the money wasted in delayed appro-
priations during the last four years could
be made available now, we would not
need to be devising ways and means to
replenish the treasury. The waste would
probably more than cover the estimated
deficit"
The crime for delaying action on ap-
preparation bills was emphasized by the
Democrats in the recent spring session
of Congress. Within thirty-six hours Of
the time for adjournment only two rela-
lively unimportant appropriation bills
had been enacted. Yet in the brief hours
before noon of March 4th, the enormous
sum of about one billion dollars was au-
thorized to be expended.
This performance was an appropriate
close to record of mismanagementt that
is unparalleled in the history of our gov
eminent.
The publication of "Penelope's POST
SCRIPTS" Kate Douglas Wiggin's new
and last Penelope book, brings out the
fact that of the other volumes in the
series more than 1877, 900 copies have
been sold. Of all Mrs. Wiggin's books
the total number sold is more than 2. $780,
900. A conservative estimate is five read
ers to each book, but with Mrs. Wiggin
it is doubtful if this would apply even to
copies owned by individuals. The num-
Der of readers who take her books from
public libraries all over the country, and
in other countries also, is almost incal-
LII =.