Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-07-21
RAISING REVENUE
PUZZLES WILSON
100000, 900 Additional VIII
Be Needed This Year.
MEXICAN CRISIS IS COSTLY.

Unexpected Drain on Treasury VIII
causs Congress 10 Change Ne Plane
Lsadsrs Are oppossd 70 Issuing
ecwds or selling the Panama Canal
Paper That ths Government Holds.
white the military authorities " tho
country are struggling TO mass add.
| ticnul trvovs on tho Mexican border,
congress II confronted with a serious
Questionn cf where tho money II to
come from with which to hnance tho
operations, Tho cost IL to be- staggcr:;
ing This Ia tho ono clear fact that
stands out Of the whole situation.
Since congress convened In December
II has been spending money at tho rate
Of approximately $1O.O0O.OO0 day. Up
to date the total appropriati aggre-
gate In the neighborhood Of 81 800. OOO..
200. This enormous sum will bc In
creased heavily before adjournment
As Is entirely natural. the greater
part Of this vast expenditure Is direct.
~ and indirectly due To the upbullding
Of the military establishments. Never
In the history Of the country have such
heavy sums been appropriated for the
army and navy. The sea forces espe
cially will be strengthened to degree
never yet authorized by previous
congress Not only Is this true In the
number Of ships voted. but the ex.
pend!tures will be made in three years
instead Of FIVE. as had been contem-
plated.
The cost Of recognizing and strength.
ening the army also will be heavy, and
In consequence congress was compelled
to appropriate heavy sums for this
work. Because Of the reorganization
greater supplies Of field guns. aero
planes. ammunition and other military
impedimenta were necessary. In fact,
increases over the original estimates
ran the gamut Of the entire army bill.
The house ways and means commit.
tee, which has been struggling with the
revenue bill that is expected to turn
into the treasury golden stream to
meet the congressional demand, Is in q
Quandary. Chairman. Kitchin and his
subcommittee had drafted a measure
calculated to produce In revenue $780,
100000. Now It Ia. found that because
Of the unprecedented appropriations,
much of them due to the Mexican cri.
sis, an additional 100000 900 must be
saddled on the bill In order that the
treasury may be on the safe side Of the
situation.
As Z result the leaders In the capitol
are busily engaged In scuttling to con.
ference at the White House and treas.
ury department. President Wilson Il
fully alive to the political necessity Of
solving the financial situation before
the campaign gets under way. In seek
ing for this solution the chief execu.
tive and his advisers find themselves
on the horns Of dilemma.
The revenue bill proposes to raise the
necessary funds largely through direct
taxation, method that in the past had
not been popular with the American
people. On the other hand. the admin.
istration recognizes that q bond issue
to meet the expenditures would be po-
utically unwise. The suggestion that a
block Of Panama canal bonds held in
the treasury be released and thrown
upon the market does not meet with
the presidents favor. The admins.
tration is said to feel that the public
effect would be the same as though
war bonds" were issued directly.
All in all, out Of the turmoil and ag.
gravation of present international and
domestic problems arises the one ques-
ton.
where is the money coming from to
meet the cost?"