The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-11-27
RETURN
UNSPENI
| MONEY
War Appropriations Unuse
! Must be Handed Back In rs
to United States -;
Treasury.
CABINET IS 1NFORl
Appropriations Committee OF Congress
to Determine How Much Of
$50 900, 10000 Can
| be Saved.
CABINET IS 1NFoR1

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.l
WASHINGTON. Nov. 27.-Unex-
pended war appropriations must be
returned to the treasury, Chairman
lSherley, Of the house appropriations
committee announced today. In let,
ter to cabinet officials and other
heads Of the Independent departments
Sherley set out the determination OF
congress to take full command OF n
nancial reconstruction with a view to
enforcing program Of peace time
economy
The appropriations committee on
Monday. will begin hearings to deter.
mine lust how much Of the $36 100000.
OO0, war appropriations and authoriza'
tions can be recovered. After the hear
tngs. a deficiency bill formally revok-
ing appropriations expected to run IN
to billions and providing funds to
care for government departm ents IN
til June 80 next, will be framed.
When the department heads are
called before the committee they VIII
tbe told specifically that their esti-
mates for the next appropriation piil'
which is now being framed, must De
cut to the last dollar.
Il ia the best intention OF the COM
mittee to start its hearings with the
war department.
Financial Reconstructoln-
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-Congress
has determined to take full command
of financial reconstruction.
Executive heads are to be asked to
cooperate toward program OF dras-
tic peace time economy, but whether
or not they comply, they will be made
aware that congress holds the final
authority in money matters.
Developments, expected soon Will
serve as warning to cabinet ot1-
cials and others who spend money:
THAT any unexpended war ap-
propriations in the hands of depart
ments will be revoked by congress at
once.
2-That expenditures on contracts
or other war work must stop 1mmedl-
ately and any excess supplies on hand
must be liquidated and the money re-
turned to the treasury.
3-That all departmental estimates
for the fiscal year of 1919-20 must be
recalled by departments and chopped
to the last cent.
While economy talk has flown thick
and fast about congress since the END
of the war, Chairman Swagar Sher-
ley Of the house appropriations COM
mittee has taken the first definite
action.
The program Sherley has outlined
practically contemplates taking all
funds out of the hands of executive
departments at once and reappro-
priating on a peace basis for the rest
of the fiscal year which does not end
until next June 30 For that time
congress, working upon the theory
that the war would continue, appro-
priated and authorized approximately
S36. .OOO, 900, 900. How much OF this
can be recovered, Sherley will deter
mine in the next few days after
series Of conferences with executive
heads.
When the war was on, Sherley in
sisted on giving every dollar asked to
prosecute it successfully. Now he
feels the time has arrived for his
committee to take full charge of ap-
preparations and decide what shall be
spent and what shall not.
The determination to demand a
thorough revision of all departmental
estimates was reached because those
so far received by Sherley's commit
tee show little reduction in compari-
son with war time requests. In a few
cases there is an actual increase.
The result of intimation of salary
boosts for department heads has re-
suited in an avalanche of requests
for raises for officials high and low
in the estimates received so far. Ap-
preparation committee men have
about decided that there will be no
increases at all since the cost of Hv-
Continued on page 2.)