Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-02-19
GROSS WASTE LAID
At DOOR Of CONGRESS
Treasury Officials Declare
G. O. P, Majority is
Squandering Funds
FOUR BILLION IN BILLS
Cites Transportation Act-Decrics
Farmers LCan-AlmoSt National
Scandal-Points TO Evasion

Washington. Feb. l9.-The Admin
istrat;on Slammed back hard yester-
day al the Republican majority III
Congress, which has been accusing the
Executive Of gross extravaganza and
Dragging of the economies forced up
on the departments.
In a statement sanctioned By the
Admins tration. S. ?. Gilbert. il, As
siStant Secretary of the Treasury. IN
charge of fiscal affairs, asserted that
while $50,O00.000 to $lOO.0OO,OUO
might Dc saved in the expense OF the
Administration witnou: impairlng cf-
f;c;ency, Congress has voted more
than $l,000,000, 900, chiefly in subs
dies to private business and asricul-
rurc. and has attempted to conceal the
fact from the taxpayers. At the rate,
Congress is squandering money he
doubts that $4,000 COO 900 Of re:enuc
Il year will foot the bills for some time
10 come.
Under the Transportation act, >
said Nr. Gilbert, "provision wa
made for $500, 900. 900 revolving fund
for loans 10 railroads at less than the
market rate. The same act guaran-
teed TO the railroads a standard re-
turn during the period CT six months
after the end of Fedora! control. This
guaranty may take az much Of S650,-
G00.000 cut Of the Treasury.
Congress has recently revived the
War Finance Corporation in order 70
make available to the export trade the
funds Of tha. corporation, which rep
resent either the proceeds Of TIE
I'reasury's subscription for lis $780,
000,GO0 CT capital stock or the pro-
cccd: Of borrowings BY the corpora
ton on what would be. substantially
the Governments credit.
a provision has been inserted in a
pending bill to authorize the pur-
chase Of 5000 100000 Of Federal Lana
Bank bonds in order to make what
are substantially Government loans 10
farmers. Notwithstanding the taxi
about economy, i; seems to DC cypcc,-
I'd that the bill will pass. In fact. the
only discussion UP to date has been d!-
rcc.el 10 the question Of whether or
note 5000 100000 IN the years 1921 ana
1899 vii! be sufficient for the purpose.
1t IS Of vital importance 70 avoid
further drafts of this character upon
the public treasury. The Government
cannot continue indefinitely 70 finance
private business at pubic expense.
The demand Of The hour is for less
Government interference with ousi-
ness.
''In the second place. il IS absolutely
essential that for the future the Con-
grcss should authorize expenditures
by direct and specific appropriations.
as contemplated b. the Constitution.
This means that practices which take
money from the Treasury by indef:-
n:te or revolving fund appropriations
mus: be strictly avoided. However ne
cessary taese practices may have been
during the war. they are utterly vici-
Jus in peace time. Among other things
they are almost perfectly calculated
70 conceal even the fact of an appro-
pria .ion, no matter how much money
is actually spent.
'By means Of indirect and .ndefi-
mite appropriations Of this character
hundreds Ct nillioEs are spen. which.
IF direct appropriation were neces-
sarv, could nc"er De authorized.
The estimates for the currer:. year.
FOR example, show tfla. over 81 .C00.-
900 900 CT expenditures were authoriz-
cd by the last session Of Congress in
addition to the amounts shown in the
usual complied statements CT appro-
priations. In fact, the practice has
reached such proportions as to be al
most a national scandal, and i was
vigorously denounced IN the Pres:
dents last annual message.
1T has become the first principle Of
strategy on he part OF people in,
:crestei il appropriation for variou;
special purposes to frame the matter
50 as to authorize the use Of the pub
( lie funds indirectly, or il Indefinite
terms, or by authorizations for ex
| ,nni;t.,re of ureyper9ei balances, pei