The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-23
MEASURE
IS DEFENDED BY
SENATOR SIMMONS
Smoot Leads Attack on Re-
publican Side When De-
bate Opens in the Upper
Branch Of Congress

Washington. August 22-With Sena-
tor Simmons, chairman of the finance
committee. submitting figures designed
to disprove republican charges of DEM
ocratic extravaganza, and Senator
Smoot, republican finance expect, as
serting that the democratic party
should be convicted of attempting to
procure votes under false pretenses,
general debate on the $205, 1000, 900 emer-
|gency revenue bill began today in the
Senate. There were indications on every
hand of a partisan battle royal to be
waged for several days.
Insisting that national defense pre-
paredness and the Mexican situation
were altogether responsible for the ne
cessity of special revenue legislation
and proposed bond issue. Senator
Simmons declared republicans in Con-
gress had clamored for even greater
expenditures for defense, and, having
done this, were seeking partisan adj
vantage by making false charges of
democratic extravaganza to the public.
SMOOT OPENS ASSAULT
Senator Smoot. opening the republi-
can assault on the revenue bill, said
if the democratic party were to be re-
tanned in control of the government the
country would suffer an era of un-
equalled extravaganza combined with
ineffciency unsurpassed" His attack
was supported by Senator Curtis
To prove his contention that normal
excessive, Senator Simmons submitted
treasury department estimates for the
year 1917 showing that, excluding
postal appropriations, bond issues al
READY authorized and amounts that will
not be expended, revenues must be pro-
vided for disbursement Of $1,126,243, 600.
OF this amount the total appropriated
for national defense would aggregate
about 1854 100000. and the senator sub
mitted other figures to prove that this
extraordinary amount, due to pre-
paredness and the Mexican emergency,
exceeded normal defense appropria-
lions by about sS72, 2So,0oo.
SIMMONS EXPLAINS
2 This amount" said Senator Simmons.
ueuuCIeu lTOIH Tile tOtdl cStAHdtcu us
bursements for the fiscal year 1917
would leave $3.50, 900 as the amount
required to meet the total normal dis
bursements of the government for that
year. Now the total estimated receipts
for the year 1917, under existing laws.
lis $4,000, 900. or ss.O37.O0o more than
the estimated normal disbursements,
making it clear that but for the extra
ordinary increase in the appropriations
for the naval and military establish
ment the normal receipts would be suf-
ficient to pay the expenses of the gov
eminent for the year and leave a sur
plus of over $S,000,000 in the treasury.
just as the receipts for the year 1916
(before we entered upon this prepared
ness programme and before the Mexican
situation developed) actually yielded a
sufficient revenue to pay the expenses
of the government and left a surplus
in the treasury of $55.270. 000.''
Subtracting from the estimated dis
bursements the estimated receipts for
I1917. the senator showed that the ball
ance to be provided for is $364.243.000.
To meet this amount he submitted that
the pending bill would raise $205, 000,-
900; the bond issue $1so.oOo.ooo, leaving
(Continued from Page Thrcel