Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-02-25
NEW DEPARTMENTS OF GOVERN.
MkNT.

Its proposed 10 erect a new Revenue De-
partment, with Secretary at It's head, 10 hold
q seat in the Cabinet. We are not prepared To
gainsay the proposition. The duties now
thrown ON the Secretary of the Treasury en-
ables him TO be little else than a head clerk in
taking care of the business OF disbursement.
We have nothing To say about constitutional
advisers of the President, IN fact We know Of
no such Office, though we are aware the Presi-
dent has the right TO call on the heads of D-.
partments for any information tina: comes
within their province, or appertaiRing to their
offices. The collection of the reven ne is a vast
ly more diff cult vocation than its disburse.
ment, and requires an efficient department with
systematic and well regulated policy 70 con-
troll lis operations.
We will be allowed TO suggest that another
Department of the Government is much more
needed. We now require what no nation has
ever had-an Industrial Department We are
either to change from our present false, i'm.
provident, and profiigste state of things or
we are TO have deep financial and industrial
troubles.
It's now estimated by one OF our late pr omi-
nent Governors soon TO be in the Senate that
the appropriations and expenses OF the Ma
nonal, State, Territorial and Municipal Gov
srnmsnts amount, In the aggregate, to one
thousand millions of dollars In currency an.
nually. II may be something more or less, but
we presume the estimate is approximately
correct.
Fer ten years before the war the annual NJ, .,
eoItta product TO each man, woman and child
CT the United States, arising from industry
vas s1Ot, on the average. This was the highest
estimate, and would give to the producing
industries 500 TO each family Of six persons
In le6O, the gross product was estimated Ar
three thousand and one hundred millions in
gold In 1866, with a population of 3s.Ooo.00
II may De set down perhaps at sii3O, OOO.eoD in
currency. We regard this as a full aud fair
estimate, though some would put IL less and
some higher.
We must take rom his amount the incl
dental expenses of production, whatever they
may be. then deduci the one thousand millions
OF Government expenses and appropriations.
lot from the gross amount, but from the ue,t
profits ofIndustry alone. We come now to the
income on SlSUO,OoD,0OU of non prod ucing CANT
TAI. over and above the public debt, which Is
drawing ITS interest from capital con ectsd with
producing labor, and high rates Of interast AT
that. We can now begin TO estimate why IL is
that agriculture is overburd.ned, mining
feeble. mechanical industries dropping, and
foreign commerce il disordered.
Take now the disadvantages under which
~ he
leading publIe economists OF the United States
snd England, American railways are not
utilized 70 the extent OF over three.tenths n
their capacity As aids to agriculture, mining,
and manufacturing, while the exorbitsnt rates
OF interest on money and non- produc capt.
tai, added 20 Government taxes, are deyouring
the very life out OF production. All this 4. go
ing or, and Government seer ms as upconCeruei
about the nations Industries as though The peo
pie had nothing else 10 do but To toll for a 1v.
eminent revenue, profit or money divioe3ds
on railway fiction, and income on non produ.
cling eapitai.
The II 1ustries OF the nation, as they now
stand, a-e AGED under CALLING disadvantages
II almost every thing that appertains TO ex.
pensiTeness in the processes of production, ex.
penses In supply, and expenses In distribution
&c which has been added every maw-worn
thatingenuIty could devise or profiigate Iegis
latlon invent 10 eat outthe profits ON pro iucing
capital and labor. We must have a broad and
comprehensive national system OF industrial
economies with protected righ.s and Interests
Il accomplish this, il is necessasy u have an
Industrial Department Of the government. ana
snat should b composed of the best talent O, the
nSuon-the statesman Of the nation, If We have
any Could broad, national system cf,ndus.
Trial economies be established, more could h.
gained and saved 10 the producing population,
yearly, than all the public expenditures now
amount 10, be II more or less than a thousapd
millions.
TIE producing industries OF the nation have
no department OF the Government they can
call their own. They are left to the caprIc. OF
nee;ing and eyanescent committees in Con-
srees, engaged IN plans and contrIvsnces OF
how TO get there, much more than in thought
and forethought Of what they shall do when
they sc, there. Instead of being oversIaugned
End cisparaged, ought not the producing IN
dustries- oy good night. TO become he Govern
ment and conrrO. It's policy.