Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-05-17
81, 25Q,OOO,OOO in
NATIONAL EXPENSE
APPROPRIATIONS MAY EXCEED
THAT SUM IF PORK BARREL
BILLS GO THRU.
ON POINT OF BEING
THREE BILLION NATION
Congress Not Expected to
Do Much Pruning-Petty Politics
Playing Big Part in Increasing Cost
= Of Running Observation-Disclosures
May curtail Rivers and Harbors Grab
Ispecial correspontence.l

! lSpeCldl NOTTeSpOHVeiiCeI
| Washington, May 1.-THE govern.
! ment's appropriations for the fiscal
year 1861 are roughly estimated on
good authority at billion and quar-
! ter OF dollars. ,-e,+
The total may go to 00,00o,0 900;
and if the river and harbor pork bar
| rel gets rolled safely down the Ways,
J and the pubic building bill that is now
being seriously discussed is brought
forth-weu, it may reach 81, 400, 900, 900.
! 1t was only a few years ago that
! the bie.lnial appropriations of the
! government passed the billion dollar
mark: half a billion a'year; and old
t Tom Reed staunchly defended his con-
gress with the declaration that this
was billion dollar country"
Now it's right on the point Of being
! a three billion dollar country.
And" explained a veteran of many
years in the making Of appropriations,
when they get up once, they never
come down. The budget increases by
| reason of extraordinary conditions;
but there are no extraordinary condi-
tions that make it smaller
1t is too early in the session to make
bic. Congress may do good many
things yet; but it is notable that no
| body who has been watching the ten
denotes Of the session is expecting
that it will do much pruning. 1t Is
curious fact that on the eve Of pres
idential campaign there is no serious
thought Of how the voters will regard
an unexampled budget. Rather, on
both sides OF the political line there Is
a vague feeling that a big budget,
spent for purposes that can be de-
scribed generally as preparedness"
Will be q testimony that congress has
met the, needs of the times. +
Economy about spending federal
money is a fine thing-when you econ
omize at the other fellows expense.
No man considers that the little
bill" or the little item"-maybe only
a half -milIion-that he is interested in,
is an extravaganza.
A member Of the house has a re-
nomination fight at home. He believes
that his fate will depend on a par
ticular county, In which he has not
been strong. 1t has perhaps homo
candidate who is strong. HOW can he
fix that county? ~ 81
He knows. HE will get an appropri-
alton to spend OH !ss pet waterway; or
he will provide a Jpublic building for
it's county seat village. That will break
the back of the home candidate. The
public building bill may look, in the
aggregate, like an extravaganza. The
river and harbor appropriation may
: have been denounced by that particu-
! lar member, time out Of mind, as
waste. No matter. He needs his slice
of the pork for very intimate rea-
sons. 49, ~.
Appropriations Easy.
When there are enough of them that
want it for like very personal reasons,
it is provided. ~. -
This year, 1t is no secret that lib
eral appropriations are going to be
easy because the country is in the
mind to expect them. Business is good,
prosperity is everywhere, preparedness
is in the air; and under the prepared
ness cover it will be possible TO get
away with a lot of things that have
nothing even remotely to do with pre-
pairing. -, ~.
Last year the army Appropriation
bill was about SOL, 900. This year
the department estimated for $150,O00,-
900; but the army increase bill seems
certain to- pass with provisions that
will make it necessary. when the APP
preparation measure comes along, to
make it even bigger than $150,000,000. |
On the very best authority it can be i
said, in fact, that total of nearer
,$200,000.000ys is more likely. This is
based on the fact that an army OF
10000 cost about $1O0,0o0,0 900. and that
the army is to be more than doubled. |
Experience has shown that the in
crease of cost Is about in this ratio. |
1t is to- be understood that the army
increase measure that has lately been
under consideration Is not an appro-
priation bill. 1t merely establishes the !
army; another measure, the army ap- |
preparation bill, will come along later !
to provide, item by item, for paying |
the costs. 558
! Again, there is the navy Last year
1t got $149,000,000. This year the de-
partment in the estimates asked $212,-
100000 for it. Everything in the con-
gressional temper indicates that the
measure will overrun the estimates. IT |
1t goes to 1925, 000, 900 1t will surprise !
none Of the sharps.
River and Harbor Grab.
e The fate Of the river and harbor bill |
Is yet to be determined; and the sem
ate filibuster. now in progress, may be
decisive in this regard. AS 1t passe,
the house, this bill called for $4,000
009. Two years ago it was severely
slashed In conference, following the
senate fight against it; and this year It
passed the house by q greatly reduced
vote. So there is good chance for Il
substantial saving here.
On the other hand, bill looking to
federal aid in building good roads in
the states has passed both houses, tho 4
they have not yet agreed, thru COM
ference. on the final terms. The house
measure looked to spending $85 200. 00O
in five years in aid to the state road
work. There Is no serious doubt that
| In sene form the measure viii become
law, despite that many serious men
| feel that It Is rubbing up one Of the
/ most dangerous pork barrels ever de-.
vised, and one that Is likely for many
years to be demanding refilling at in-f
ltervals. The general belief is that
/ once launched into road building, the;
lgovernment will never get out Of 1t
II -.