Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-23
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

w f' Tn., question i. psrp,ss.
ing Congress. and more es-
pecially the republican majority
which, as one of the fardels of VIC
tory. Is charged with the responsipii-
ity of devising means of paying Dig
war debt and increasing costs OF gov
ernment-with a presidential eiectlon
coming along.
Chairman Good of the House appro-
priations committee estimates that
the total revenues of the government
for the fiscal year ending June 80 next
are only $7,22a92S.24O. with an agsre-
gate of $10,s31. 202.5s5 that must be
paid. There is a possibility OF get
ing back 81 ,000. 100000 from the wheat
guarantee fund and s100, 100000 from
various other appropriations-leav
an actual deficit in the Treasury on
June 80 next of $2.4s1.27s,345.
This does not include $50.00o,00o
passed by Congress for increasing
postal salaries. nor $75.0o0,000 carried
in the amendment to the war risk in
surance act.
Big Boost in Salaries.
Recomme ndations made to the joint
congressional commission now en-
xaeed on the Redistribution of sal
aries Of government employees call for
an 80 per cent increase in salaries
which would mean $100.000.000 to
$125.oo0. 900.
In the Esch railroad bill which just
passed the House there is little item
like $250.000, 900 for loans and there
are created several commissions which
would cost considerable sums. There
IL also an item of something like
S171, 900, 900 to pay the Indebtedness to
carriers on guaranteed income.
Then there is the open question OF
whether Congress should pay bonus
TO all the soldiers, sailors and ma
rines in service in the world war.
Congress passed the buck" to the
American Legion by deferring action
until the legion had held its national
conference, and the legion passed the
buck" back to Congress. Estimated at
$50 a month and to run for only one
year, a soldiers bonus proposition
would cost the government more than
5000, 100000.
So with a deficit staring them in the
face, and accumulating demands for
many extraordinarily large expendi-
tures-all of them very desirable and
nttine-the republican leaders have a
stern task befort them Of raising
enough money to pay the bills.
Spending Like Drunken Sailors.
Were spending money like drunk
an sailors" Uncle Joe" Cannon pic
turesquely expresses it. The other
former Speaker, Champ Clark, with
another homely expression. says he
don't see how buckle and tongue
can be made to meet"
The first regular session of the Six
ty-sixth Congress meets on December
1. On that day the departmental es-
Inmates for the succeeding fiscal year,
commencing July 1 next, are due. The
best information obtainable is that
those estimates will aggregate consid-
erably more than $4,000. 100000. Chair
man Good Of the appropriations COM
Whitfield down much below 100000
ooo-and with all of the proposed ap-
propriations cited above not taken
into consideration.
Il Where is the money coming from?
II Thanks to prohibition, the internal
revenue next year will be about $780,
Aoe, zoo less than last. Then, too, 1t is
xoing to cost a good sized amount to
enforce prohibitions Uncle Sam is
an the position Of paying folks to take
money out Of his pocket that he badly
aeeda.
Il On the advice Of some prominent
Republican leaders. the majority, on
the reconvenirg of Congress, will con-
slider very seriously the possibility of
taxing imports to the limit, to square
Accounts. A thorough revision of the
tariff is being discussed-and with a
weather eye open toward political ef-
4ect In the presidential campaign The
test that the more optimistic repub-
1icans hope to get out of it is a cam
paign slogan: The democrats run up
the bills and the republicans pay the
Bills"
s, Financial and Political.
\ So Congress is facing not only the
SHANGHAI problem, but the political
problem as we'll how to raise the
money in a way that will not arouse
the resentment of the people.
Tax imports to- the limit" say
some. Imports are, for the most part
1uxuries, and the American people are
willing to pay the price for what they
want"
But-entirely aside from the politi-
cal wisdom of it. and you may be sure
the politics are not being overlooked
Import taxes will not make the
buckle and tongue meet.
) Imports are now running more than
34O0, OO0,0 900 a month-about $4,000
100000 a year. At one time the av-
erage ad valorem rate of duty was
rs per cent, but now it is around 6
der cent. This year it is estimated
that import duties will aggregate
about s260,000.000, an increase OF
s100,000,o0o over last year. due to in
creased imports. Estimates made fol
and by the ways and means commit.
tee are that if s50O,00O,00O can be
raised through a tariff for revenue
that will be the absolute, stonewal
limit. This would be less than double
the present customs return, and less
than half enough to offset the single
item of $500. 100000 curtailment OF
revenue through operations of the