The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-05-05
SENATOR ASSAILS
 PASSAGE OF VAST BUDGET MEASURES

Washington, D. C., May 5.-Chronic absenteeism in the Senate and the passage of vast appropriation meas ures with only a dozen or 50 Senators present and voting are assailed by Senator Charles s. Thomas, of Col orado, Democratic member of the Finance committee. That no real economics are being practiced by those in control of the legislative branch of the government, and that so-called saving and cuts in appro- priations will be more than offset later by deficiency bills is also al- leged by Senator Thomas.
 Senator Thomas told the Senate that the orgy of spending would cease only when the taxpayers be- come fully aware of conditions and organize a protest Almost every in terest asking something from Con greSs, he said, is organized except the taxpayers Each interest has it's lobbyists or Legislative committees, the Colorado Senator asserted, and raids upon the Treasury continue while leaders of the party in power talk g1fb1y of economy.
 That it has been difficult to get a quorum in the Senate recently was pointedIy asserted by Senator Thomas. Various members of that body are out campaigning, either for the Presidency or in behalf of friends who are candidates for the Presi- dency.
 Discussing absenteesim in the Sen ate and consideration of most i'm l; portant bills by only a handful of | Senators, Senator Thomas said:
 f'This fact is strikingly illustrated by the Senate attendance since the
 
 19, from which date, with one or two 1 exceptions, two roll calls followed by | instructions to the Sergeant at Arms | to request the presence of absent Senators have been necessary to Se- | cure quorums for the transaction of 1 business. Absenteefsm has ynchron- ! ized with the consideration of great appropriation bills literally carrying hundreds of millions, to which so | little attention is paid that quorum 1 calls are avoided lest they result only 1 in needless delay.
 Estimates for governmental needs l for the next fiscal year vary from 1 five to six billions of dollars The smaller estimate is beyond the prob 1 able public revenue under the exist l ing law Unless the first be reduced l or the last be revised upward, July i 1, 1921, will bring a second de- l f1ciency. If the tax rate be increased at this period of dwindling produc- | ton, it's results must prove disap- l pointing Prosperity is incompatible with such prospect too gloomy for contemplation but too serious to be l wholly disregarded, however quiescent l the taxpayer may be.
 Party leaders give glib reassur- ance of colossal economies in ap- propriation represented by huge figures thrown upon the screen o1 nouncement of cuts below depart 1 mental estimates, aggregaing one l and a half billions, means little or l nothing in the final analysis. Ii may be good campaign material, but l is otherwise without substance. Elk
 cess of estimates above appropria-
 tions is a common practice whose principal harvest is a series of de
 fciency bills for every session of Con-
 gross. These in turn become the ve-
 hicle of other and independent ap-
 propriations. The present Congress
 has passed two great deficiency bills
 $121,171, ,Se9.13, and another is on the
 calenda with still another on the
 way. It is perhaps necessary that
 should say that this has reference tc
 the deficiency appropriation bdl
 which was passed day before yester.
 day.
 s'The closing of the polls in No. I.vember next will be the signal fol 1 another and yet another. The aggre-
 gate amounts carried by them added to the sum of the regular allot- ments will approach <, if they do no
 exceed the rejected estimates wner
 the next Congress, moved by the same impulses, will repeat the olt
 tactics if your lethargy continue. ] through the 6nterval. Such condi ] tions will, indeed, encourage fresf 1 disbursements, and it will be strang,