New-York tribune., 1916-07-03
Congress Prepares to
Complete Appropriations
Carrying 81 ,650,0OO, 900.
LEADERS TO PRUNE
HUGE DEFENCE FUND
Army and Navy Measures Reach
1922, 100000 as Legislators
Talk Adjournment.

washington, July ?. - Congress is
preparing 10 complete its programme
Of financial preparedness. with every
indication that appropriations this ses-
sion will aggregate considerably more
than sl,b00,000 900. at least $500 600, 900
of which will be for national defence.
According to estimates based on fig
ures compiled by Chairman Fitzgerald
of the House Appropriations Commit
tee and increases put into pending
measures by Senate committees, the
grand appropriations total may reach
s1.65O, 100000, exceeding by more than
$500, 100000 the record OF any previous
Congress in the nations history.
Representative Fitzgerald submitted
a statement to the House last week
showing that the grand total for the
present Congress, based on bills passed
and pending, would reach nearly
s1,5o0.000,000. Since then tho Senate
Naval Committee has added nearly
s50,000,000 to tho naval bill and the
military committee has increased the
ts2,0oo,0OO army appropriation meas
ure by approximately sl00,000, 900.
Leaders Agree Records VIII Go.
Tho principal appropriation meas
ures awaiting Senate consideration are
the army and navy bills. As amended
in committee they carry $4,000, 900
and s315,s26,S43 respectively, and. with
the fortifcations bill which has passed
both houses, would appropriate for ma
tional defence more than 1922 900, 900.
There is every indication that the Sen
ate will accept at least the major part
Of the proposed army and navy in
creases, but conferences that are GER
tain to be demanded probably will sue
ceed in pairing them down. Whatever
happens. however. leaders OF both
houses agree that the total Of appro-
priations will break all records.
The Senate plans 10 take up the
naval bill as soon as the agricultural
bill is out Of the way. That probably
will be within few days. The big
building programme provided for 1917
and the provision for a three-year con-
struetion policy probably will mean a
debate Of several weeks. Meanwhile
the army bill will come from the com
mittee, and an effort may be made to
pass 1t as soon as it is ready, setting
aside the naval bill temporarily.
With its work on appropriations
nearing completion, the House is ready
TO take up the S2l0,000,000 revenue bill
introduced yesterday. The House ad-
journed from yesterday to next
Wednesday, and the revenue measure
is expected TO come up Thursday under
a special rule and be passed Saturday.
Then the House will be marking time,
waiting for the Senate to catch up.
Besides several of the big supply
measures, the Senate has the shipping
bill, the child labor bill, the $4,000 900
militia relief measure, conservation
measures, the immigration bill, and
many minor matters to dispose Of.
Adjournment Constant Topic.
In spite of the crowded Senate cal
endar and the threatening Mexican
situation, the subject of adjournment
constantly is discussed about the Capt.
tol. The House could adjourn within
a few weeks, but Senate leaders say
that under the most favorable circum-
stances they could not possibly get
through before the middle of August
Senator Kern said tonight he
thought it would be possible to ad-
journ by Saturday, August 10, unless
international Developments prevented
II Should war come, Congress prob
ably would remain through to the be
ginning of the short session in De-
cember