Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-05-29
CONGRESS ASKS
FOR BILLIONS

! With Director General Hines asking
$1,000 100000 for operation of the rail
roads, all appropriation records OF
peace time congresses will be broken
by the present session.
| Besides the regular supply bills,
which will be close to $4,000,00O, 900,
the railroads and other Deficiencies
will push the total UP above $1,000
100000, it is now estimated.
Work on railroad appropriation, as
we'll as Chairman Kahn's billion-dollar
bill for the pay and subsistence of the
army, will be taken up by house COM
mittees this week In addition, def
ciencies of $2O0,000,000 for the war
risk insurance bureau, $8,000000 for
the public health service; 100000
for the lighthouse service; 100000
for the post Office and 100000 for the
state department have been asked
during the last week.
Congress to Probe Hines Request
The request of Director General
Hines, which is $45O,000,0O0 above the
amount asked of the last congress, will
i be thoroughly investigated by the
house appropriations committee. Chair
man Good announced. The deficit of
! $3.50, 00C, 900 for the first four months
of this year. with deficit of $238, 1884,,
$40 for last year, created much sur
prise in congress. While Hines indi-
Gates his large request is for all ex-
penses to the close of 1919, when the
president expects to return the roads,
the director general states that even
this amount may not be sufficient
should conditions change.
"The estimated herewith does not
attempt to forecast results beyond the
first four months of the year." he
wrote the house.
Need Money to Pay 1918 Bills
Hines letter reveals that SAL, 802,-
438 is needed to square up 1918 &C
counts of the said railroads, leaving
t $758, 1877, 562 for 1919 requirements At
| the same time he points out that if the
appropriation is granted, out of the
total of $1,700,0OO 900 allotted the rail
roads, $486,O00,000 will be the net loss.
| This balance, $1,214, 900, 900, represents
| the amount advanced to the railroads
! for improvements, additions and meet
| ing bond issues. This, he said, must
! eventually be returned to the govern
ment.
Hines attributed the large deficits to
| the cumulative high levels of costs,
J brought about by the war, for labor
and materials and the sudden and alb
normal falling off of business as a re-
suit of the cessation of war activities.
Blame Hard Winter for Big Deficit
'The deficit of 1918 was due to the
unprecedented severity Of the winter
Of 1918 with it's costly effect on rail
road operations" Hines wrote.
ALSO the increases in passenger and
freight rates amounting to about 25
per cent were in effect for only few
days in excess of six months, while
heavily increased expenses due to war
conditions were effective on ascending
scale through II months"
Besides the high costs, Hines blames
the 1919 deficit on sudden drop in
the demand for fuel and other basic
commodities, and a general state of
hesitancy due to the transition from
war to peace conditions.
"These losses are clearly due to the
war and should be treated as SUCH"
Hines said
Of the $1,214,O0O,OO0 which Hines
fn hn cd 10 70
ment, he said, "$4 q 100000 is temper
arily tied up in working capital, $775,-
100000 represents amounts which
have been and will be advanced for
the account of the railroads, which is
their duty to repay as rapidly as pos
sible," and about $14,000,000 repre-
sents expenditures and equipment for
inland waterways.