Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1896 — HOW THE CASH WENT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HOW THE CASH WENT.

THE FINANCIAL LEGISLATION OF CONGRESS REVIEWED. ¥ Mfi Cannon Says the Appropriations Were Small and Economical, While Mr. Sayres Says They Were Enormous and Profligate. As Viewed by Both Sides. Chairman Cannon, of the House Appropriations Committed and ex-Chairman Sayres Thursday made public a joint statement concerning the expenditures authorized by this Congress, discussing them from the Republican and Democratic ■tandpoints respectively The total appropriations for the session, including permanent annual appropriations, is $515,759,820.49. Mr. Cannon’s statement begins: “The appropriations charged to this session iifclude $119,054,1(50 undrir the permanent laws, of which amount $50,000,000 is for sinking fund apff $30,500,000 for interest on public debts, or $3,355,614.40 more than was included at the last session of Congress in the statements of appropriations, arid is on account of the Increase of $162,1/15,400 in the bonded indebtedness of the country by the present administration up to February, 1895, the interest and sinking fund charge on account of the later bond issue of SIOO,000,000 in February, 1896, amounting to $4,400,000, riof being included in the estimates of permanent appropriations. v Increase in Public Debt. “The increase in the principal and interest bearing debt of the country under the present fidmiriistration amounts - to $262,3J5,400, which entails annual interest charge of $11,492,016, and to meet the sinking fund obligations the further sum of $2,623,154. “During the administration of Mr. Harrison the principal of the interest bearing debt was red uced $258,192,900 and tn e annual, interest charges “The regular annual bills, including deficiencies, as passed by the House made a reduction in. the submitted by the executive.of $26,083,191.67;

they tcere invi'enscd- by- the Senate $22,920,442.30, and as they became laws they appropriate $10,036,624.06 less thrifi as passed by the Senate, $12,283,818.24 more than as they passed the House, and $13,374,373.43 less than the estimated requirements of the aHliiliiistration. Excluding Rivers and Harbors. “The regular annual appropriations, including deficiencies, made at the last session of Congress amounted to $383,636,806.97, and included no river and harbor bill. Excluding tbe river and harbor act passed at this session, the regular.annual bills :is passed by the I louse appropriated only $373,505,082.25, or more than’ $lO,000,000 less than was appropriated by the last Democratic Congress.” • Mr. Cannon criticises the Treasury Department because it has expended $7,3 < i,440 for the present year in collecting the revenue from customs estimated at $165,000,000; whereas" for the last fiscal year, 1892, under President Harrison’s administration there was collected under the McKinley tariff act $177,452,000 of customs revenue at a total cost of only $6,607,517. Tfie 'biirsnFStablishHig- sala+'ies,- instead of the fee system, for officers of the United States courts, he says, will stive sl,o¥O,ooo annually and minimize frivolous and malicious prosecution, and special attention is called to the fact that Congress made no increases of salaries or employes in the Government department.

Table of Appropriations. The following table of appropriations is given: . Fifty-first Congress .. . $988,4171183 34 Fifty-second Congress. 1,027,104,547 92 Fifty-third Congress, ... 989,239,205 69 Fifty-fourth Congress —• first session ......... 515,759,820 49 The revenues for three fiscal years of the Harrison administration ending June 30, 1892, are given as $1,150,631,214; expenditures, $998,132,501; for the two complete fiscal years of Cleveland’s administration, revenues, $611,112,094; expenditures, $723,720,578. Mr. Sayres, in his statement, says of the total appropriations for the session: •This sum exceeds the appropriations made during the last session of the Fiftythird Congress by $18,751,299.83, and those of the first regular session of that Congress by $23,529,135.46. It is less than the appropriations by the second session of the Fifty-second Congress by only $8,744,538.72, although at the latter session $39,352,494.85 more was appropriated for pensions than at this session. It is more than those by the first session of the Fifty-first Congress by $21,303,57T.84, and $25,464,040.80 less than the appropriations at the second session of the Fifty-first., “Tlte Senate, organized This session by a combination of Republican and I’opulist votes, placing the control of committees in the hands of Republicans, by its amendments to appropriation bills as they passed the House, proposed to increase the total $22,920,442.30. By conferences between the two HoitSes this aggregate increase was reduced to $12,283,818.24. “The appropriations made at the second session of the Fifty-first Congress exceeded those made ab the first session of the same Congress by $46,767,612.64, or nearly 10 per cent. If the same proportionate Increase should be made at the next session. then the appropriations will not be less than $565,000,000.” Contracts authorized by this session he estimates as follows: Rivers ami harbors. $59,616,404: public buildings, lighthouses and revenue cutters, $1,406,000; defenses and armament, $4.195.076: new warships, $13,900,<nX); District of Columbia, $125,000. Total, $78,241,480. i In conclusioiuMr. Sayres says: “If the present Congress had rigidly refused authority for additional contracts ami had appropriated only to meet the immediate or .fiscal year requirements under existing one*, the next Congress and administration would have been in a position to largely reduce appropriations and expenditures. and the administration of the government could easily Ifftve returned to an economical method of expenditure. This, however, has not been dope, ami the majority in Congress must be held responsible for this grave dereliction in public duty.” > '

CONGRESS ADJOURNS—THERE IS JOY AT HOME AND ABROAD.