Evening star., 1915-11-09
Urges a Special Committee.

proposes a different cure.
Urges a Special Committee.
Mr.. Sherley would create a special
House committee of twenty-six mem
bers, to be known as the committee
on estimates and expenditures. which
shall estimate the amount of revenue
available and apportion it for expendi-
ture among the several committees
now handling appropriations.
Mr.. Fitzgerald would increase the
membership of the appropriations
com.littee to thirty. deprive all other
committees of jurisdiction over appro-
priations and let the one big commit
tee appropriate for all branches OF the
government service.
Under the existing 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 departments and are
not subject to revision by the Secre-
tary of the Treasury.
The committee on appropriations then
ascertains by inquiry the amount OF
revenue available and proceeds to ap-
propriate for the executive, legislative
and judicial departments. The com
mittee on agriculture brings in the ag-
ricultural appropriation bill, the com
mittee on foreign affairs the diplomatic
and consular appropriation bill. the
committee on military affairs the army
appropriation and military academy
bill, the committee on naval affairs the
naval appropriation bill, the committee
on post offices and post roads the postal
service appropriation bill, the commit
tee on Indian affairs the Indian aorro-
priation bill and once in two years the
rivers and harbors committee an ap-
preparation for that oranch OF popilc
Improvement. The committee on pub
lie buildings and grounds authorizes
new public buildings, but the appro-
priations committee provides the money
therefor in the sundry civil bill.
Shirley Explains His Plan.
Mr. Shirley's proposed budget COM
mittee would be selected as follows:
THE chairmen and three ranking ma
iority members and the ranking mi
nority member of the committees on
ways and means and appropriations,
and the chairmen and the ranking mi
nority member of the committees on
rules, agriculture, foreign affairs, mill
tary affairs, naval affairs. the post
office and post roads, rivers and har-
bors and Indian affairs. The chairman
of said committee shall be selected by
the members thereof. Said committee
shall. as soon after the convening of
each regular session of Congress as
NAV be- report to the House the
amount of revenue probably available
for appropriation for the next fiscal
wear. and apportion the amount to the
several appropriation bills within tSe
lturisdiction of the committees empow-
cred by the rules and practice of the
House to report appropriations from
the Treasury"
He explains this selection, as follows:
lit 1,n-
ueye to be the impossible task of
bringing back to the committee on :p-
propriations Jurisdiction of all the sup
ply bills, to create a committee COM
posed in it's personnel of the heads of
the various appropriating committees.
gave to the committee on ways and
means representation greater than any
other committee except appropriations
because the committee on ways and
means Is properly charged with the
amount of revenues that shall be avail
able. / gave to the committee on ap-
preparations preponderance over
other appropriation committees, not out
of partiality for that committee. but
because IL has under its charge six
of the great supply bills. whereas the
other great appropriatinS committees
have only one. except in the instance
of the committee on military affairs,
which reports two supply bills. ! also
made as a part of that committee the
chairman and the minority member of
the committee on rules. because that is
necessarily the great political commit
| tee of the House and should have a
voice in matter SO fundamental as
| the arrangement of a budget.
This committee would consist of
sixteen majority members and ten
minority members"
Does Not Fear Duplication.
When Mr. Shirley was asked, when
the subject was up for discussion once
| before, II the budget plan would not
duplicate the work of the several COM
mittees. in hearing the demands of the
departments, he said:
II think not, although I want to say
| CONTINUED on Fifth Pase.)