The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-02-24
A PLEA FOR ECONOMY.
HOW DAWES PICKED AT EXTRAvA.
CANOE.

" II va DhSODGtA 6eOOI AND HOW IO
AVOI 1T. e
Last Thursday, the house OF representa-.
tives in committee of the whole, on the bill
to repeal the stamp duty or tax on matches,
Mr.. Dawes made his three hour speech in
which he put the knife in with a vengeance.
All he said is worthy of reproduction, and
the extracts printed below will doubly re-
paw the reading /:
The tax on matches and on bank checks
had yielded to the treasury last year s4,1OO,-
OOO-that of matches, $500, 900, and that on
bank checks, 81, 900, 900. The COMMISSIONS
of internal revenue had estimated that
the repeal of the tax on bank
checks would require a refund of nearly half
a million to those now holding the stamps
unused, and at least a like sum to those hold
ing unused stamps on friction matches, so
that tn question of repeal involved the de-
pletiOn of the treasury to the amount of S5,-
100, 600. The secretary of the treasury had
reported that he had on hand at the COM
mencement of the fiscal year over S131 ,0Oo,-
900. There was then due on call against the
United States, and liable at any moment to
be drawn, first, a special deposit oflegal ten
der notes held for the redemption of certifi-
Gates of deposit, S3l, 10000, and coin depos-
tied for coin certificates, S39,460,O0 0 The
JOIdl dNdtldDlc luDQS DtlOnRlDk W but EON tIn-
ment, with which to meet its current
expenses on the first of last July, were,
therefore, only $50, O02, JOS. That consisted
of S4S,047. 402 in coin and Sl1 ,954 ,625 in cur
rency. This was the cash on hand on the
first of July, 1873. the commencement of
the fiscal year, and available for any
purpose of the government The re-
ceipts from the first of July, 1873, to the
first of February, 1874, estimating the
five last days of January, were SI65, 677 ,972.
The estimated receipts for the remaining
five months of the year, were SIG, l0O, 900,
making the total available income or re-
sources of the government, from which to
draw. during the current fiscal year, $751;
777,972. The following sums had been ex-
pended during the fiscal year: On account
of the sinking sfund, So, 936.450; on account
of appropriations from July l, 1873, to Feb
ruary 1, 1874, SLY ,174,585; the liabilities of
the government or account of u~nexpended
balances of appropriations are S13S,SS1,257
the interest on the public debt is $41 ,2S6, 661;
the accrued interest due and unpaid is So
9S7 AT; the estimated expenditures on sun
dry, indefinite and permanent appropria-
tions is $685. ,00C; making with some adj
ditional figures which were not clearly I'M
derstood by the reporter) a total of expen-
ditures, including all outstanding %appropri-
atoms, for which the government is to-day
liable, 1898, SAG, $50, against available re-
sources of S34l, 7S0, Dol; so that If the govern
ment should be called upon during the year
for all the appropriations made by congress,
there would be at the end of the year a deficit
of $50, O66, 449. Blu this did not present the
condition of the treasury fairly-only its
actual condition on paper. Oft The appropri-
atoms that have beeR made, and were still
unpaid, and for which the treasury was liza
BILE, there were many which there was no
probability that the treasury would be called
upon to respond to. Many of the items
came under the head of
PERMANENT APPROPRIATIONS,
which, although made over two years since,
had not been covered into the treasury-tor
instance, there was an item of two and halt
millions for the pay of the army in 1872.
There might be here and there an unpaid
claim under that head, but substantially the
pay of the army for 1871 was included. There
was also an item Of over twelve millions for
the pay of the two and three years volunteers
in 1871, and another item for a million and a
half for bounty for that year, and another
item for nearly nine and a half millions for
pensions for 1871, and there was but little
probability that the treasury would be called
upon for any considerable portion of these
sums. A careful revision of all these out
standing appropriations for past years shows
the aggregate ofthese sums TO be SO, 1863, 034
taking this sum into consideration, and
assuming that the treasury would not be
called upon for it, there would then be in the
treasury at the close ofthe current fiscal year,
the sum of 500, 1902, 1856. This sum excluded
the sinking fund; that is, the government
would meet every actual liability which he
has referred to, and would also provide for
the sinking fund, and there would still boon
hand over $4,000, 900 at the close of the fiscal
year. The treasury had 500, 10000 o at the
beginning of the year and therefore it was
necessary in order to restore the treasury to
as good a condition as it had been at the be-
ginning of the year, to provide for S39,697,-
ga. But that condition of the treasury
was not entirely the fact. for against that
twenty odd millions were TO be drawn all the
DEFICIENCIES that had arisen during the year.
There had been, as yet, no deficiency bill re-
ported by the committee OF appropriations,
except the navy deficiency bill, which was a
speciality, and which had gone to the account
he had given. But the ordinary deficiencies
were sometimes quite large. So far as they
would arise this year they would diminish
that item o ftwenty odd millions. He I'M
derstood that there would be 81, 000, 900 de-
ficiency in the Indian bureau, and he had
estimated these miscellaneous deficiencies at
81. 600, 600. He had never known the def
cheney bills at any session to amount to less
than So. 1000, 900, and he had known them to 60
up as nigh as S13, 900 900. He had left out OF
his estimate of deficiencies the claims made
by the District of Columbia for expenditures
ulduc III buC DlctlNCls dAO III Wh0s
from 50, 900, 900 to S., 0 5000. By the act of
January, 1873, congress had prohibited
the board of public works from incur
ring or contracting further liabilities on be-
half of the United States in the improvement
of streets, venues, reservations, and from
entering into any contract touching such
improvements, on behalf of the United
States, except in pursuance of appropria-
tions made by congress. In the face OF the
prohibition, however, congress was con-
fronted with a claim that had accrued since
the passage of that act of from 50 600, 200 to
5000, 900. He did not care to discuss inc
propriety or legality to that claim, or how
the money had been, expended, but he
would only say that after the enactment OF
that statute the treasury department could
not nave contemplated any expenditure but
the board of public works, for which the
treasury would be liable. IL, however,
this sum should be paid out. it would add
the deficiencies-say $1,000, 900, which would
REQUIRE 1900, 900 to be deducted from the
twenty odd million dollars. There were a