Evening journal., 1916-08-21
NATION HIT HARD
BY taxation Laws
Probability of 1864, 243,000
Deficit at Close of the
Fiscal Year
SAY DEMOCRATS
ARE EXTRAVAGANT

AXE EAIKAVAGANII
Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
NEW YORK, Aug. 21,-That the
Underwood tariff bill had, according
to Democratic testimony, failed to
raise sufficient revenue for the ex-
penses of the government by $685.
100000 was the statement made in this
letter on Saturday. Now. also on the
testimony Of the Democratic leaders,
S130O00,000 must be added to that
figure, making a grand total Of $685.
100000, irrespective of $5O,O00,0 900 to
be carried by the shipping bill. The
Senate finance committee estimates
that the deficit for the coming fiscal
year will amount to 1864, 243 900 The
appropriations for the coming year
will total S1,700.000 as against $1,114,-
100000 for the current fiscal year.
The Democratic leaders estimate the
receipts from all sources for the next
fiscal year at $4,000, 900, making the
deficit 1864 .2430O0, and estimate that
II there Is necessity of maintaining
the present force on the Mexican
boundary after January / next still
more bonds must be sold to carry
on the government. These figures do
not take into account the $4,000, 900
to be appropriated by the McAdoo-
Wilson shipping bill, which is to be
passed to Save the Presidents face"
nor the expense of the government MI
trate plant. of course, the conten-
ton is made by the leaders in Con-
gress that most of the increase is due
to preparedness, but an examination
of the work OF Congress will show
prohigate extravaganza and waste in
every direction. In this last annual
message to Congress, President Will
son announced that the amount re-
quired to carry out the preparedness
program would be sos, 100000 and on
that basis estimated the deficit on
June SO' 1917, at $235.000 900. The
discrepancy between the Presidents
climates and the developments are
4 characteristic Of the Wilson-McAdoo
type Of financing.
Not Much Pie.
one Oh The greatest sources of Demo-
Democratic wastefulness has been the
creation of commissions which. il
! they are to be judged by results. we're
designed primarily and in many in
stances solely to provide saft snaps
for deserving Democrats" The Fed-
eral Trade Commission. the Farm
/ Loan Board, whose members receive
$4,000 a year salary and expenses:
the High Joint Commission on Pan
American Relations; the Commission
to Investigate the Railroads: the
Alaskan Commission; the Commits
sion on the Feasibility Of the Govern
ments Manufacturing its Own NUM-
tions: the Naval Consulting Board !:
the Mexican Commission (created by
the President without the authority or
advice of Congress); the Commission
on the Mobilization OF Industries; the
Commission on the Cancellation of
Labor, etc. have all been created by
this administration and their mainte-
nance involves great and almost
wholly unnecessary expense Further
more. a number of commissions which
have done useful work and served
their purpose. but which should have
been abolished. are being maintained
for no apparent purpose except to af-
, ford soft snaps for deserving Demo-
Gratis" And now comes the tariff com
mission, with six members at $500, to
say nothing of expenses, the salaries
of secretary. clerks, etc. created by a
Democratic administration solely as a
matter Of political expediency. as has
been pointed out by such prominent
Democrats as Representative Claude
b Kitchin, Senators John Sharp Will
liams James Reed and Oscar Under
wood. II is even generally believed
, that John Lind is still on the govern
/ ment payroll although the State De-
partment and President Wilson re-
, fuse to confirm or deny the report
Preparedness Waste.
Throughout the preparedness
! measures which this Congress ha
/ passed, are to be found instances o
) criminal waste and misappropriatiol
r OF the public funds. A large part o
! these is for the purpose Of rehabili
= tating southern navy yards which ar
4 virtually obsolete and should b
! abandoned. for fitting out yards {
: build ships, when the work could b
- done far better and more economl
0 cally by private ship-builders. pro
= vided only that the government main
tanned at most two yards capable @
e building ships in order to hold i
= check the prices charged by privat
= builders. Whatever view may, b
4 taken of government manufacture {
i armor-plate under normal circum
+ stances, with gigantic deficit pilin
S up aud private plants, thorough
equipped, offering to manufacture
|, at prices to be fixed, not by then
n selves but by the government, the es
e penditure of $11 100000 for a govern
+ ment plant. which for years must h
i largely experimental, is worse tina
j. folly.
;, Carranza's Latest.
3 Striking example Of Carranza's hatr'
of foreigners, including Americans,
afforded by his latest decree that a
, foreigners who seek 10 acquire oil
timber lands, fisheries, water right
etc, must forfeit their citizenship, b
!, come Mexican citizens and abandon a
u right TO ask protection from their ow
governments. II is said that the a.
ministration will protest as soon as
+ has received the official text of this d
cree. but inasmuch as Carranze has a
wavs accorded the most conjunction
treatment 10 President Wilson's ever
In protest. those who have or are seekir
y to exploit their grants in Mexico ha'
70 little hope Of relief. II must be borl
rs i'm mind. however. that European natioi
l. viii not stand for the high-handed al
It coniscatory measures of Carranza on
FrrN