Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-06-05
From the National Journal,


From the National Journal,
PUBLIC EXPENDITURES.
In reply to the Circular addressed by the
Chairman of the Con>pi,tee on Re:renchment,
the following reply was made by the Setretar!
OF the Treasury:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, March S, 1928.
SIR: had he honor 10 receive, on the l4th
of last month, your letter of the 18th, address,
ed 10 me, in pursuance OF a resolution OF the
Committee o. RetrenLhment, of The House Of
Repre- sent tives, requesting 10 be Informed
whether in my opinion, there be any officers III
this Department whose services may br dispfn
ed with without detriment to the public inter-
est, or il the salaries Of any of them Can be re-
duced, consistently with justice and propriety;
and in general, whether any of tie expenses in
,den, TO this Department, can be reduced,
without im2airing the efficacy OF its opera
tons
In reply, be e leave 10 state. that thfre are,
at present, ten offices annexed 10 this Depart
ment, viz: the Cromptrol er's, The Treasurer's,
the Auditors, he Registers, tina, OF the Com.
missioner Of The General Lard Office, the Sc
cond Comptroler's, the Second Auditors, the
Third Auditors, the Fourth Auditors, and the
Fifth AUDITORS.
There have, heretofore, existed. as appen-
dag sto the Department, the Offices Ola ,sstant
Secretary If the Treasury. Commissioner Of
Revenue, Accountant Of the War Department,
Purveyor Of Public Supplies, Accountant Of The
Navy Department, aud additional Account ant
of tie War Departmental of hich have been
abolished.
OF the ten su5sising Offices, FIRST above emu
mera:ed, six have been coeval, nearly so, in
effect, though not under the Same names, with
the earliest establishments Of the Government.
Those OF the ten that were created las, viz the
Second, Compll oler's, Second Third, Fourth &
Fifth Auditors, were created by The act Of
March the 3lst, 1927, under a special report,
embodyirg the reasons for the same, made TO
the Senate in President Madison's time, (Dec.
Is, 1850 by the Heads Of the Executive De-
partments. BY the same act the Offices Of
Accountant and Additional Accountant Of the
War Department., and Accountant Of the Navy
Department, were abolished. The further re-
commentators Of that report, 10 establish an
entirely new Executive Department, to be de-
nominated the Home Department, and Soil
citorship to the Treasury, were not adopted by
Congress.
Of the officers therefore, who are how au1ila-
ry to the business Of this Department, there are
in my opinion, nohe that Can be advantageously
dispensed with, or whose salaries can be reduc-
ed, consistently with justice and pro2riety.-
They have all been created by Congre SIS, on full
deliberalion. Dividing the time since the for
nation Of the present Government into three
periods, the first from the 4lh March, 1889, 10
the close 1900; the second from the lst January,
1901, 10 The close OF 1914, the third from the
LIST Of January, 1915, to The close of 1927, and
the average annual revenue of the nation for
the frs period is found TO be S5,637 $50; for
the second period $4,000, Sc, for the third
period, 1922, 277,9o3. The average annual tx
pendrure for the first p'riod stands al 81, $780,
$50; for the second, al l7,6l2,434; and for the
third, at S27,99s, 400 The various loans OBJ
tained since the formation Of the Government,
are not included IN the receipts OF revenue
The expenditures embrace all payments On
accoun, Of the Geht, as well Revolutionary as
that contracted since the purchase OF Louisiana
and Florida, and other heayv payments for
objects not belonging 10 the ordinary and anau-
al expenses OF Government. This progressive
increase in the public revenue and expend,ture,
the result OF the increase in the popuia ion,
wealth, and general business of the nation,
marks the necessity of progressive increase III
The embellishments of this Dcparimeni; under
the review Of which, a. TO d common GENRE,
every Item Of revenue & expenditure is broueh'.
How far az! the details Of business in the sew
eral Offices Of the Depar MEM might be car
ried on without det,inent to the public int.
rest, after dispensing with The services of any
portion Of the clerks pr. sen, employed in
:hem, or how far the salaries Of any nigh, be
reduced, consistently with justice or propriety;
or, in general, whether the expenses inciden,
to any of then could be reduced without i'm
pairing the efficacy of their operations, l have
not on my own view, felt able TO decide, with>
out more opportunities of investigation than
could command at this season, On more delay
than would be compatible With the duty Of af-
foidiog the committee a timely reply. But
called, by letter, upon each Of the officers