The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-04-06
CONGRESS SAVES MONEY MONEY
DECLARES "UNCLE JOE"

Washington.-"Unc Joe" Can
non, who is rounding out his fiftieth
year since his first election In the
Danville district. declares that the
legislative branch OF the Government
ia by far the most economical Of
the three. In reporting an appro-
priation bill he said: This bill
providing appropriations for the
legislative branch of the Govern
ment for the fiscal year 1928 carries
In round numbers twelve and a
half million dollars. In the rear
raEgement of the Budget this bill
provides for the Government Print
ing office, the Library Of Congress
and the Botanic Garden. which are
semiexecutive rather that strictly
legislative. and leaving out the ap-
preparations for these functions. the
appropriations for the legislative
work Of the Government amounts to
less than $1,000. 900. This is an
almost insignificant sum as COM
pared with the total estimated ex-
penditures OF about three and a
half billion dollars for the whole
government.
This bill therefore appropriates
a comparatively small amount TO
provide for the lawmaking machin-
cry compared with the appropria-
tions for executive functions. The
money we propose to appropriate
for the legislative branch represents
about 81 in 5000 of the total
estimated expenditure for the next
year; IL will call for a per capita
tax OF IL cents on the people in
continental United States and about
81 in $4,000 of our national
yealth-not a very burdensome tax
on our wealth for legislative activi-
ties.
"The legislative branch has al
ways been the most economical part
of the government and in proper
tion to the total cost of the Govern
ment IL has been growing less ever
since the adoption of the Constitu-
tion. Twenty-Five years ago in the
Mckinley administration the appro-
priation for the legislative branch
as presented in this bill represented
81 out of 500 of the total appro-
priations, and now 1t is proposed to
appropriate for the Congress 81 out
of $500 in the total expenditures.
We have kept down salaries and ex-
nenditures for the legislative branch
in the past, while circumstances
nave persuaded us largely to in
crease salaries, employees and ex-
penses in the executive departments,
and add new departments and bur-
eaus with new executive functions,
until as | look back to the time
when l first entered the House near
ly SO years ago and compare the
executive part of the Government
then and now. 1t is like going from
Danville to the great metropolis of
New York. The executive branch of
the Government has grown like the
tabled bean stalk while the legisla-
tive branch remains much as IL was
then, with a few more members. a
few more clerks and better accom-
modiations for members.
We have continued to be econo-
mical in appropriating public money
for the upkeep of the Legislative
branch, and that may be one rea-
son why we receive so little at
tention other than criticism from
the multiplied agencies of publicity
We have been so careful about ap-
! propriating money for the law-mak
! ing machinery that we have come tC
be regarded as only an agency foi
appropriating money to carry for
ward other plans quiet differen
from the ideas of the founders o
the Government.
81 do not mention these contrasts
for the purpose of criticism of thu
changes that have come with tn,
growth and development of tn,
country and its complicated ant
complex expansion into the creates
and richest Nation on the face o
the EARTH but | call attention L
these changes simply to show tina
Congress has remained the leas
changed part of the Government.