The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-01-03

next July must he cut 10 the bone.
Thus there are good intentions every
where.
The difficulty IS 10 locate the spots
where tie cuts are 10 be- made. THIS
is primarily The business ui the house
and the senate committees ON apur.-
priatiOus. These committees are TAX
in hold IF the tasE il earnest, and il
seems reasonable to assume that if
congress as a whole will stand by the
committees expenditures viii actually
be reduced. ~ nearly rs the govern
mCnt experts can estimate the rrvr-
nucS for the coming fiscal year they
will amount TO 5000 UU0.OoO. This
estimate is based on the existing tax
laws. The revenues from the postal
service for the coming year are cSri-
mated To be something over S41jOUO.-
600, which. added To the revenues from
taxation sources. win give the govern
ment Il little over S6,GUO,0OOOO9 in rev.
enue. Congress has thus far during
this fiscal year appropriated SI,2I2.-
1855. 1t is evident. therefore, that
If the appropriations for the coming
fiscal year shall approach the apprO-
priatiOns for the present year there
will be large gap between the money
available and the money appropriated.
On War Basis This Year.
The estimates for the regular an
nual supply bills and the permanent an
nual appropriations exceed the apprO-
| priatiOns of last year by nearly
half billion dollars. The estimate for
every one of the - appropriation bills,
excepting the post office and naval
bills, is in excess of the appropria-
tiOns for 1920. The estimate for the
post office appropriation bill is less
| by something over S200.0O0,0 900 and the
estimate for the naval appropriation
bill is less than that of a year ago by
| S43,0OO.OOO. The governments bust
ness for the present fiscal year was
by the very nature of things on a war
basis.
The war machine was going so
strong when the armistice was signed
that 1t was impossible for the govern
ment authorities 10 put sudden
check on expenditures. There was not
very much complaint about the apprO-
priatiOns for the present fiscal year,
but the prevailing view in congress Is
that the time has come to get away
from the war basis. The war added
enormous sums TO the permanent APP
preparations of the government By
this are meant appropriations that are
fixed by statute. for which congress
must provide each year. whether ii de-
sires to do it or not. so long as the
laws that call for the money stand.
These annual permanent apprOpria-
lions last year reached the enormous
sum of S2,OOO,OOOOOO.
Hope for Treaty After Holidays.
1t seems reasonably certain that
the treaty of peace with Germany
will be taken up by the senate
after the Christmas holidays and
eventually ratified with reservations.
As time goes on there are indications
of better feeling in the senate with
respect to the treaty situation. The
three or four factions into which the
senate divided over the treaty still
exist, and each faction is inclined &c
stand its ground. but there is more
and more talk among senators repre-
senting the various factions that rea
craftsmanship must eventually have
its way, and that when it does the
: treaty will be disposed of. Everybod!
: realizes that the existing situation
cannot be allowed to run on indefi
nitely.
In connection with the treaty stu
: alton some things are obvious. On
is that congress is not willing to adOp
: n resolution declaring that state o
peace now exists between the United
States and Germany. The adoption
, of that sort of resolution, it Is pointed
: out. would mean that the United
States had deserted the allies witt
5 whom she fought and the legislator
are not willing to put their country OF
: record as doing that sort of thing. |
e is also obvious that neither congress
nor the public is anxious to have tn
e presidential campaign. Even part,
i men. who would be willing to hav
e the cOntroverted questions raised b
: the treaty submitted to the people
n realize, so they say, that the wOrl
{ waits on the establishment of peace
: and this being the case, they doubt
= the public would be willing to della
n the establishment of peace long enOug
n to have the treaty made political is
s sue i'm this country. The fact is tha
l. between 20 and so senators are anS
: ious to see the treaty ratified. 1t re
: quires only Ga votes to ratify.
d Must Have Some Reservations.
ANY ratification resolution that doe
l. not embrace reservations cannot con
e mand votes needed to adopt it. TIL
s prevailing view among senators VIII
: are best informed as to what is in tn
t minds of the friends of the treaty
n that the Lodge reservations whic
n went down with the first ratificatiO
h resolution will be made the basis 70
n a compromise set of reservations. Cel
l. tain of the Democratic senators VIII
y have much influence with their assoc
ates have already indicated that the
It are willing to accept ut least eight {
the fourteen Lodge reservations, an
that they will accept the others pre-
d vided certain notifications are made