Evening star., 1915-02-06
Democratic Leaders Warn
Colleagues in House of Dam
ger of Extravaganza.
GUARD MONEY OR RETIRE,
IS VIEW OF FITZGERALD
Sundry Civil Bill Debate the Ocea.
sion of Caustic Comment, Re-
publicans Participating.


must be put on a different basis or the
members of Congress will all be retired
to private life" warned Representative
FitZgerald, chairman of the House ap-
propriations committee. today in open
ing the sundry civil bill debate. He
warned against extravaganza, and
other members, democrats and republic
cans alike, rose up and applauded him.
Democratic Leader Underwood, who
yesterday pronounced warning
against a vast Treasury deficit. again
today warned the House that unless
the reckless expenditure of public
money ceases there will be no end to
the taxation which must be levied on
the people to stop the gap in the coun-
trys funds.
While admitting the truth of the demo-
cratic leaders statements, and agreeing
that their warnings are timely, Represent
ative Gillette of Massachusetts, ranking
republican on the appropriations commit
tee. predicted: Before the first Of July
next the administration will be selling
bonds in order to pay the running ex-
penses Of the government. While the
tariff continues its blighting effect we also
have .the disturbance caused by war, and
we may expect falling off in the in
comes Of individuals and corporations
which will be reflected in a reduction of
the revenue from taxes on them
Record of Reductions.
Chairman Fitzgerald pointed out that
the appropriations committee had al
ways pruned the great sundry civil
bill and had reduced it an average of
SIS, 100000 a year from the requests of
the departments. He warned the House
that people would revolt against so
much taxation. and said that much of
it has been made necessary by the
great number of activities into which
state and federal governments have
been plunged by the insiStent demands
of various societies and organizations.
Majority Leader Underwood, favoring
the creation of central budget COM
mittee to control the appropriations of
Congress instead of having the re-
sponsibility divided as at present
said:
The reckless expenditure of public
money has always been the canker
that has destroyed republics, and un-
less the House is willing to take some
tions can be- centralized, don't see
where the increased taxes on the
American people will end"
Representative Gillett in his speech
severely criticised the democrats for a
large variety of alleged misdeeds. Re-
ferring specifically to the bill, he said
they could have left out SIC, ,Ooo, 900 ap-
propriated for work on public build
ings that have not been started as yet,
and also said they could have left out
the $3.O0O.000 carried in the bill for
physical valuation of railroads. He said
that the first estimate of the cost of
this work had been doubled and quad
rupled, and that the estimate Is still
roads just as much more.
Smaller Items Enumerated.
Getting down to items of smaller size
in the bill, he called attention to the
fact that year ago the House spent a
large part of an afternoon debating
whether the government spend a hun
dred dollars a year for horseshoeing
for the State Department.
And l now notice." he said, that for
the use of the Secretary of War there
are kept two four-seated carriages and
two two-seated carriages, and this not
state to his official duties there was
purchased for his use out of the fund
for transportation of the army and its
supplies an automobile costing s4.500.
Neither do l see why the superior
dignity of the Secretary of the Navy
required the expenditure of s6S7 for
visiting different navy yards, while it
cost the assistant secretary only $4S9:
nor do / see why the Secretary should
charge the government for trip to
Lincoln, Neb. / appreciate his loyalty
in visiting that shrine, but that wor-
ship Has already been sufficiently prof
liable to him to allow him to pay his
own expenses.
Other Luxurious" Travellers.
THE Secretary of the Treasury is
also q luxurious traveller. For a month $
trip with the Secretary of Agriculture
and their attendants to prepare for
the establishment of reserve banks the
government paid s6,663.01, over 5000 a
day. 1 suppose they thought the mag
nitude of their financial purpose should
be reflected in their expense account"
Further in his speech Mr.. Gillett said
he had found the names Of McAdoo and
Bryan in the list of special attorneys
for the Attorney General.
These familiar names are attached
to the sons of two cabinet officers" he
said. "The Secretary of the Treasury
is to be congratulated on having a son
| so brilliant that when first out of col
lege he Is worth $4,000 a year to the
United States as a lawyer. The son
| of the Secretary of State the premier
Of the administration. is, Of course
worth higher salary"
COURT TO TRY MINERS.