Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1898 — WAR REVENUES [ARTICLE]

WAR REVENUES

Bill Reported to the llon»e—Ulngit) Explains Needs—Army Keorganl. xMtion Bill a Lavr. Washington, April 27.—The senate pjM house agreed tt>' the conference report on the army reorganisation bill, and at 2:® it was sent to the president, who promptly affixed his signature to the measure thus making It a law. Washington, April 27.—Chairman Dinaley, of the ways and means committee, Tuesday submitted to the house with the war revenue bill the following report: “The precipitation on the United State* of a war with Spain has rendered it necessary to immediately provide ways an& means to meet war expenditures on th* scale demanded by modern naval and military operations. “Such an unwelcomed demand on our resources comes at a time when under tha workings of the tariff apt of July 24,1897, we had begun to overcome in large measure the injurious effect of anticipatory importations and had already received In the months of February and March revenue more than $3,000,000 in excess of ordinary peace expenditure for these months ($4,000,000 of the expenditures appearing In th* • March statement having been made on the account of preparation for national defense under authority of the joint resolution of March 9), and that, too, with a large falling off of customs revenue the last te* days of March in consequence of the disturbance of trade arising from threatened war. “There is no doubt that if peace conditions had continued the estimate of the secretary of the treasury that the revenue for the next fiscal year would reach $390,000,000—exclusive of postal receipts—s63,ooo,000 In excess of the revenue for the fiscal year 1896, and more than that sum in excess of what the revenues for the next fiscal year 1897 would have been 'f it hat not been for anticipatory importations in the last four months of the latter year to avoid the Increased duties of the new tariff —would have been more than realized: arid these receipts would have fully met th* expenditures for the next fiscal year If tt had not been for the increase caused by the difficulties with Spain, inasmuch as the expenditures for the fiscal year 1396, exclusive of postil expenditures paid by postal revenue, were only $352,000,000 and for the fiscal year 1897 only $365,000,000. "These difficuUies, even before war conditions arose, had so stirred, the public mind as to demand largely Increased appropriations for enlarging the navy and for national defenses. The destruction of the United States battleship Maine in the harbor of Havana on the 16th of February last so intensified the situation that congress,a few weefca thereafter, realized the necessity of taking prompt measures to prepare for any exigency, and by Joint resolution appropriated $60,000,000 for national defense. "Upon the authority of this Joint resolution about $35,000,000 of this approoriado* have already been practically used, although payments have as yet been made for only a part of this sum; anl liabilities for the remainder of the appropriation will have been incurred within two weeks. "An examination of the condition of th* treasury will make it apparent that no time should be lost in providing ample ways and means for carrying to a successful conclusion the war in which we are now engaged." Mr. Dlngley gave notice that the revenue bill would be called up Wednesday at noon, general debate to be continued Thursday and Friday, the bill to be considered for amendment under the five minute ruia until four o’clock, when a vote should be taken. The minority had agreed to this rangement.