New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-07-26
POLITICAL MISCELLANY.
ON THE RATIO OF INCREASE IN OUR Ma
TIONAL EXPENDITURES.

lI of .InnunrX. 1SI2.

me
Sntpodncinc the Ciyn Appropriation Bill" took oeGa
sion. ina a. aacal speech Of very great oEsna ,yc n.
stance that while tue increase o. the bmpS re last
tnTes in England Great Britain during tno ~
~ three Quarters pcr cent, compounded annually
Ihose OF tie United States, unocr slh.l"'t 80 .
and That an op nion had been given him. ny one VINO Ia
the subject that this increase was equ W
deId did NOT give the name of his auhoiiiy 0r the data
which may have warranted the ,,o ". , iis
epieS ga 4, d he he i fnvinS anc
lam sn bspaly ielSve il; vet am sure that some
where between that eight per cent? dnC IN III sn L. "
tome and tmoequarteIs per oen'l VII nc low, 80
OF increase IN lines of peace And asa yy %, onr
expenditures depends upon the action Oh cnr
natural growth Of population ana the ca l me cor
tnucs: No doubt tue expenditures VIII al 1cSrease
crease om year to year. bat r[S ve tie rate of in-
crease ought gradually to grow less' 49,, ox,rcssons
,,ront IN hint ~ condition Of things Wicl hu cVie
hls know LEDGE Chairman OF the nc Adnlins-
ration he did not TO speak openly KNOW loS '
az every person IN the country lCiesC'V a.
ms be also interested in knowing the exact ruin IN re
sp 90 our national expenaitSoS, and ma
{ agures Of the most recent oingai az" i
natter OF public interest, simply inquire, what iuie
cuces are iaIly deduciOe from thglt eAeiliha.lon
statements prepared in the Treasury Deat nav
itn Of inc senate, which. whether so intended OF NOT
have most unquestiOuaDy the erect OF icalu 'o -
y crcasiug are rapidly diminishing, ana that'
All usons like those before noticed as arIV Ea
BY the present Chairman OF the COnnil''eo y" AFP''
uiiauons must Of necessity be erroneous. A., G..
Aud in entering upon tins eAamlttlon' N.Y. fI me
asca Years 1869 1870 ISL exclusive OF interest," iI,
miuns the purchase OF OohGs' ana "a pn2 ' y" Wv
urncip3l OF the public debt, were as ioIOWsi
iS6 ebt months johnson and four months Grant @
'''''' rs ,sI u01.
Trere is thus an apparent decrease IN the national eX
penditures for the fiscal year 1871 OF SoUoO a. com
n1rcd win the expenditures for like purposes Tor the
nscal year 1909 But on tie SON OF june lSG inc re-
quTtcnt for expenditure for interest on e pnDc qSD
Wa <7SOOO less than il on the 30th OF june lsC
and the seth OF June, ISL TINS charge Rad ufe1
further reduced 10y the sum OF Slo.,@'V1W3 ASuniS
slOGGl,GOJ to represent the average Unhnuon1 OF
tAe interest charge ba nor been Progressive by
inouts this $25O5OOO reduction OF the hatiOual
tures would be reduced to Sl44I4Vo. O Io T I;. H.
fere must be carried to the credit OF expenditures the
sun OF S5G67OCJ. the amount discussed rom IeuSIUhs
ourng the year 1871 IN ADDITION 10 e alloi' 1,iisy
dsbursed during the year 1909; lhasluuv IL t P"S
1pcut Ike the interest account Is OIe NiHNn my
be regarded not included %I eif fbpe aloNanc,s
eOutrOliable expenditures elHIhs tiros 81 tie
IN the nature credit and DEBT the VI eo
National Government for ordinary expenses were az
pareny $2O3l 900 less the fiscal year 1871 than ley
were ior me fiscal year 1863 ,, A.. g.. = rood
We use the word apparently For TINS inert is SVCt
and sufficient reason as will appear evident Wheh IL Is
remembered that in order to demonstrate an 9cIuai
bona tide reduction OF expenditures the 1asls oi com
parson should as possible, be made the same III
both instances. Let US endeavor 10 estaDhSh sueh
The largest single items OF the yearly national eXpeno
iues, excepting interest ana pay SutS on tue mem
tose returned under Die respective heads OF the Army
and Nav What these have been since and including
the last year OF TIE war; 1861 Is shown - the IOAoW1a
table: r
,.e, A'ay saE l, ,cs Ami 800 ss s.S'
Is5i 2S3l,466.. 432@65s ~ $1,000 1900" ia.u az
49, 49, l sstsei5. 3 s5S.s5i '''
glance This table Will show that during Ihe Ao
ministraton of Andrew Johnson the reduction OF tne
annual expenditures on account OF Ihe army NSs
wonderfully rapid and continuous, ana 'n bs, 5' v S4
s2Oi652,OO less than 1t was in the year lo't' tAe
first hsch year AFTER the close Of tnG M@fi "nf b
the general disDandlng ana lal lns-n ~ !, c M
troops had taken place; the only exception 10 con
tnuOus reduction IN TINS period oelns 1uS III !So
traOrdinary disbursements on account Vi Oo.tles Iu
1869 10 1871 inclusive the reduction OF ts SAINT CLASS ui
eXp natures through the influence OF the same causes
has also continued put not 70 suen an IN, - ~ ~
them exceptional or worthy Of beng brought FORWARD as
matters OF special credit or notice. . , .,
In the case expenditures on account Of the navy
the table almost the entire reduction effected
period OF Mr. JOhnsOns Administration; and That since
the control Of the national affairs 10y the Administration
OF Gen Grant there have been no material Reductions OF
expenditure IN this de partment Of the Government
Another point. 1t would seem that concurrent WIN
reason OF a transition OF the military ana naval de-
partments Of the Government nom war 70 peace
what may be involved III the payment OF interest and
Tie funded debt should also De reduced IN correspond
Ing ratio Whether aud TO what extent TINS has been
done will be shown by the following table:
TABLE s1ooiag Expenditures cfhe National Government cr,t
FaJt, Ds5t ron 1907 70 l57l G','as.ge
. Ags.{s E 81 ip,e2e.i
IN rs.
Year, eps or ae9t Ei e5dS5ss p3r91s o 5 5I
i8l...''. ~ 40 az i i1S 5i si "a ~ s. @
I66g...,.,. lg,i34OO0. s6A2ON. 134,oVg''' t5S.ot0
iS7I iS55600.:.. 65tiO0O... 5000. 675OOJ
BY the above table, therefore, whose figures are a
transcript the official records ee Report secretary Of
the Treasury 1871 PIP 49, 49, il appears that what may
DE termed the mIeCtiiicVus W VI W 'No
Government e. the Executive, LesIslaSe JuuIcidIy,
and Indian, those which may be regarded as more
especially within the control of an Administration, have
increased annually during the last lew years as foOWs;
From 1867 10 1853 The last full year OF tine Johnson Adj
ministratOD) the increase was Sl55OOO or at the rate
OF 243 Der cent per aunum.
For the fiscal year 1863 eight months johnson and
four months Grant, increase OF Sj40700 or at the
rate Of ll2 per cent per anuum INC expenditure ms
year. however includes s2OO00 gold Oh account vi The
purchase of Alaska.
For the scal year s697O decrease Of s5S72OO or at
For the fiscal year 1s7Ol increase Of S2C3O or at
the rate OF 1913 per cent per annuln.
The table also demonstrates that the increase OF
General Government for the year ending June 80, 1871
Uhe second fun fiscal year Of Gen. Grants Adminstra
ending June 30. 1868 THE last full fiscal year OF
the johnson ADMINISTRATOR, has amounted TO
SlO,79S,OOO 1873 per cent-an average of 472
per cent per anuum as compared with
an average increase Of the peace expenditures Of En-
gland OF rs per cent The extent Of tAe increase
class OF national expenditures may be furthermore real
ized by recalling to mind tAat while the entire eXpend
lures Of the Government III 1890 for the army, navy,
Indians PENSIONS miscellaneous, ana civil service
hui 500 "a OOO the expenditures Tor miscellaneous ana
Civil service alone for the fiscal year 1901 exceeded
this amount by S427O
It would however be unjust TO convey the impression
that this extraordinary increase Of expenditures the
existing Administration is solely or mainly accountable
On the contrary the increase in question commenced
during the last Of Mr. LncOlns AdminstratiOnthe
year In which the was brought to a eTmluatOn and
when all other expenditures except for pensions began
rapidly TO diminish. Thus, previously 10 the war the
maximum amount ever expended in one year for Civil
Service, miscellaneous, ard Indians, was s32,gl9OO0,
namely, in 1851 From that date these expenditure d.
mnsed TO 81 900 ia 1853; S231O0O in 1902 and S0
2OOUOn l6Gi The nrst hscal year after peace, 1885,
showed, however very large increase namely, 49,
10000; and from that time as shown by the following
table. the has been singuaIly rapid aud, with
The exception OF a single year, continuous:
TABLE st0rHg National PeE Eyqeidfare fer
cru Sertce, Miscellaneous, and Edtdns from 1850 1i.
cllsiUc
lses..........s9 9oooo lseo............s e}5l6roO