New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-12-08
pcnditurcs proper:
Year ended June 80, 1871. .ai5r59},S?9
Year ended June 80, 1871. 1o},2Jl,sj3
Year ended June 30, 1872. 1S0,43S,GT
Year ended June 30, 1914. 1E,Gl8,95J


The comparison cannot be carried back fur
thcr than the years 1901 on account of heavy
expenditures in the War Department arising
from the payment Of bountiea. The reader
will bear in mind that the above Sums inclade
all the Goycrnm int expenditures except inter
est on the Pablo Debt and that portion OF
the cost of tho postal service which is COW
cred by the income of that service. 1t is there
fore By comparison of the sums obtained
in this way that we must ascertain whether
expenditures are increasing or diminishing.
We have now TO inquire what light the Sec
rctary's report throws on the expenditures Of
tho current year. BY a comparison OF the
report with that of the preceding year, We
learn that tho expenditures, exclusive of
interest on the Dabt and prcmiams on pur-
chased bonds, lave been for tho first three
months Of the current fiscal year sJ2, 525.590,
against 4ji GGG,G70 for the same months OF last
year, being n positive increase of nearly one
million dollars. For the whole fiscal year they
arc estimated at $l72,537,530, "thc estimates
being based on the assumption that Con-
"grcss will moi increase the expenditures by
deficiency or other appropriations Whether
there will be any appropriations for deticcn-
ces and other purposes to be pad out OF the
revenues OF the current year, we cannot say.
Generally the expiring Congress which meets
after an election that has shclyed two
thirds of the members does appropriate
pretty layishly for such purposes. But, II
there are no such appropriations made, the
Secretary thinks the expenditures will be only
nineteen millions greater than they were for
the year ended June 30, 1872, and some six
millions less than they were last year. We
simply ask the intelligent readers OF
TIE TRIBUNE, whatever their politics, to
decide who during tho last twelve months
told them the more truth about the National
finances-Messrs Dawes and Garfield or
The TRIBUNE. We trust moreover, that
those gentlemen will take an early ODpor-
tunity to explain to tho country how they
became subject to the delusion that the cx-
pendturcs of the current fiscal year were to
be- according to Mr.. Garfield. t,Centy-fre, and
according to Mr. Dawes, trenty-Sir millions
less than they were last year.
For the rest, we find Secretary Bristow's
report "a plain, cOmmOn-scnSe document. It's
suggestions in regard to the currency, eXpen-
ditures for public buildings, and other mat
tiers are generally sound. No attempt is made
III Ii to be sensational OF ulctatOIlal. w de-
tcct throughout the Secretarys consciousness
that Congress is ali powerful in tho premises,
and not in the habit of taking advice. espc-
cia!ly good advice. A veto may occasionally
give them trouble, it is true. a little statement
obtained 10y Controller Knox of the amounts
of money loaned on call by the banks of this
city to dealers in stocks is thought deserving
of attention by Mr.. Bristow. Doubtless the
sum of fity-fve million dollars employed in
this way by the National banks alone, not in
GLIDING time loans, is many times greater
than can be called back again when the
banks want it, as the experience
of the panic proved, but the abuse is not of
q kind to DO rcmedied by legislative enact
ment. We cannot approve the Secretary's
suggestion of a special tax on those deposits
on which interest is paid. This, however, is q
matter on which tho Secretary lays far less
stress than his predecessors, Messrs. Boutwell,
and Richardson. On the whole it is good
report, and will not detract from the reputa-
finn Mr. BristOW has already earned