Bisbee daily review., 1916-08-23
Senators Smoot and Curtis of the Minority Charge Demo- cracy With Wanton Ex- travagance in Management.
SENATOR SIMMONS
 MAKES DEFENSE
Bill to Provide the Grease for Running Country Under Discussion-G. O. P. Makes
 Political Powder Out of It.
(By Review Leased Wire.)

WASHINGTON. Aug. 22. With Sentor Simmons, chairman of the finance committee. submitting figures designe dto disprove Republican charges of Democratic extravaganza and Senator Smoot, Republican finan- cial expert, asserting that the Demo- cratic party should be convicted of at tempting to procure votes under false pretenses, general debate on the s2O5. 5.OOO.OOO emergency revenue bill began today in the Senate. There wer publications 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 necessity of special revenue legisla- tion and a proposed bon dissue. Sen ator Simmons declared Republicans in Congress had clamored for even greater expeditures for defense, and having done this, were seeking parti- san advantage by making false charges of Democratic extravaganza to the public.
 Senator Shoot. opening the Repub- lican assault on the revenue bill. said if the Democratic party were to be retained in control of the government. the country would suffer an era of unequalled extravaganza combined with inefficiency. unsurpassed" His attack was supported by Senator Curtis.
 To prove his contentious that nor ma Appropriations of this session, are not excessive. Senator Simmons submitted treasury department esti- mates for the year 1917. showing that excluding postal appropriations, bond issues already authorized and amounts that will not be expected, revenues must be provided for disbursements of s1.126, ,234,OOO. Of th:s amount the to- tai appropriation for national defense would aggregate about s654 1000, ,000 and the Senator submitted other fig ures to prove that this extraordinary amount due to preparedness and the Mexican emergency, exceeded normal defense appropriations by about sS72,- O.OOO
 This amount" said Senator Sim mons. deducted from the total esti- mated disbursements for the fiscal year 1917 would leave S753. 3.963.000 as the amount required to meet the total normal disbursements of the govern ment for that year. Now the total estimated receipts for the year ending June 90 under existing laws is $76S,- 900 900. making it clear that but for the extraordinary increase in the ap- propriation for the naval and military establishment which have been thought expedient and necessary. the normal receipts would be sufficient to pay the expenses of the government for the year and leave a surplus of over SS.000.000 in the treasury. just as the receipts for the year 1916 (be- fore We entered upon this prepared ness program and before the Mexican situation developed) actually yielded sufficient revenue to pay the eX- penses of the government and left a surplus in the treasury of 55.270. .000."
 Subtracting from the estimated dis bursements the estimated receipt for 1917. the senator showed that the bal ance to be provided as sS64.243. .0O0. To meet this amount he submitted that the pending bill would raise s205.- 900 .OOO. the bond issue S1S0.000, 900. leaving a balance of $29. .24S.OOO to be taken care of by the general funds of the treasury. which he asid amounted to $134 4.337, S95 on August 18th last.
 Referring to the proposed slS0,0O0.- ,00Obond issue for Mexican expendi-