Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-23
TO BE PROTECTED

revenue bill is taken up again
for consideration in the Senate
committee no special haste will be
observed in completing'it. The immi-
nence of final peace will mean the
cancellation of thousands of Army
tary work in general on which it was
intended to spend hundreds of mill
lions of dollars. AS a consequence
the demands upon the Treasury in
the ensuing year will fall far short
OF the estimates, and the revenue
legislation will have to be revised
accordingly.
Last month the chairman of the
appropriations committee of the
Senate submitted a summary of the
appropriations for the present ses-
sion, which began on December s,
1917. Since that date there has been
appropriated approximately $685.
S77,000,000 and additional contracts
have been authorized to the extent
of 50, ,421, 100000, to be covered by
appropriations at later date, or
total of SS6.29S, 100000. OF course,
much of that huge sum represents
expenditures that can not be avoided
with the coming of peace. The
Shipping Roard will require hun
dreds of millions to finish the work
it has in hand; pay and maintenance
of the Army must continue until it
is demobilized; the immensely-en-
larged government establishment at
Washington and, in other cities must
be maintained, at least for the pres
ent; interest on the public debt must
be paid; and other huge appropria-
tions for more or less permanent
purposes must be left undisturbed. !
But with all allowances for main
tanning the government as a going
concern, billions of dollars remain,
for waging the war on
a more intensive basis in 1919,sthe !
expenditure of which will not now
be necessary. In fixing the amounts
in the more recent appropriation !
bills Congress had in mind the crea-
ton of an army of 100000 men,
with all the equipment that goes
with such a force. Such an enlarge
ment of our military strength is now
Projects, involving |
tens of millions of dollars. should
be abandoned. Extensions to ord
nance plants, additions to existing |
cantonments, the intensive manu-
facture of aircraft, the construction !
of heavy ordnance, for all of which |
billions have been appropriated dur
ing the war, will be halted, and the |
money will remain in the Treas
ury.
time, even an approximate estimate
of the huge saving TO the govern
ment that will result from the stop |
page of our war activities. A glance |
at the various appropriation bills, !
however, shows that the sum will |
run into the billions, and may even
reach the total which the pending |
revenue bill is expected to raise. In
that case, it is evident that extensive |
revision of the present language of |
that measure is demanded.
Now is the time when the Federal !
should treat with the |
greatest consideration it's business
The change from a war
to a peace footing will require the |
of much capital. Those |
concerns that will lose prospective |
contracts with the government will |
suffer financially, although probably |
reimbursed to some extent when |
their contracts are taken from them. /
The facility with which the country |
adjusts itself to the activity of peace
will measure our success in the in
evitable competition in the worlds |
markets with other nations. 1t |
would be a grave mistake to impose |
upon our industries unnecessary tax
burdens while they are, undergoing
this transformation.
The Republicans in Congress will
not 90 to the extent of filibustering !
against the revenue bill for the mere |
purpose of forcing it beyond March
4, that they may have the partisan
of writing an entire tax
bill themselves. On the other hand, |
they will give the closest scrutiny to
every item in the pending measure
in the light of its effect upon indus
tries that are under heavy present |
expense in the effort to accommo-
date themselves to a sudden peace. |
Sufficient money will be raised to
meet the necessary expenses of the
but beyond that protec-
ton to American Industries, and |
the industries of the la
Dor of the country, will be the gov
erning policy of the Republicans, as
it always has guided that party in
the past.
WOMEN WORKERS