El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-01
4 BUDGET FUND
FOR THE j. s.
Plan to Do Away With the
Miscellaneous Appro-
priation Of Monies.

Washington. D. C., Dec. PLANS for
sTstematizing the spending of Uncle
Sans annual pay envelope so as ccm-
pletely to overturn the existing hap
hazard manner Of estimating and ap-
propriating for maintenance Of the
United States government are 70 be
presented to the house Of representa-
tives when congress opens within
few days.
The plans have been formulated by
the special budget committee, appoint
ed by the Democratic caucus last year
The committee consists Of speaker
Clark. and representatives Sherley. OF
Kentucky: Fitzgerald, of New York.
Hay, of Virginia; Stout, of Montana,
and Garner, OF Texas.
There has been general dissatisfac-
ton with the present method Of dis
tributing jurisdiction among several
committees of the house, each certain
Of the superior Importance Of its own
objects and therefore likely 10 pay
too little heed TO the requirements OF
others. Leaders are aiming TO estab-
lish a system along the lines follow ed
by the legislative bodies Of nearly all
the European countries.
Two Plans Proposed
Two different plans have found IA
Tor among members or the comlnlttee.
One is champiOned by Sherley and the
other by Fitzgerald. Sherley would
create a special house committee OF
&c members 10 be known as the COM
mittee on eStima ties and expenditures.
which would estimate the amount Of
revenue available and apportiOn II for
expenditure among the different com
mittees now handling appropriations
EitZgerald'S plan IS to increase the
membership of the appropriations COM
mittee to 80, deprive all other commit
tees of jurisdiction over appropriations
and let the one big committee do the
apprOpriating for all branches OF the
government service.
Under the present system the secre-
tary Of the treasury at the beginning
Of every session submits to congress
the estimates Of the various executive
departments for the following fiscal
year. These estimates are prepared
by the heads Of the various depart
ments and are not subject to revision
by the secretary Of the treasury.
How 1t Would Work.
The committee on appropriations
then ascertains by inquiry the amount
OF revenue available and proceeds TO
appropriate TO executive, legislative
and judicial departments. The commit
tee on agriculture brings in the agri-
cultural appropriation bill, the commit
tee on foreign affairs the diplomatic
and consular service appropriation
bin, the committee on military affairs
the army appropriation bill the COM
mittee on naval affairs the navy ap-
preparation bill. the committees on
pOsJOffice and post roads, the postal
service appropriation bill, the commit
tee on indian affairs the indian ap-
preparation bill, and once in two years
the rivers and harbors committee an
appropriation for that branch OF the
service The committee on public
buildings authorizes new public build
ings, but the appropriations commit
tee provides the money therefor in the
sundry civil bill
Committees Makeup.
Sherley would select the budget COM
mittee in this manner: The chairman
and three ranking majority members
ana the ranking minority member Of
the committees on ways and means and
appropriations, and the chairmen and
ranking minority members Of the COM
mittees on rules, agriculture, foreign
affairs. military affairs, naval affairs.
the pOstoffice and post roads, rivers
and harbors and indian affairs The
chairman Of this committee would be
selected by the members thereof. The
committee would, as soon as the con-
veninS OF congress, report to the house,
the amount OF revenue probably avail
able for appropriation for the next fis-
cal year, and spportiou the amount to
the different appropriation bills within
the Jurisdiction of the committees
which usually handle them