The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-06-24
SOME STARTLING FIGURES.

An eastern journal has been instituting
comparison between the expenditures
for the support Of government in the
United States and other leading nations
of the world, with some surprising results.
We give some extracts. In these esti-
mates the cost of the armies and navies
and the interest on public debts is ex-
cluded, as these are different in different
countries:
Austria (now known as the Austro- Hungar-
ian Monarchy, with population OF thirty
six millions, expended i'll its last official bud
get for all purposes except those above named,
only S53, 900 900 less than the United States,
with nearly the same population. Yet Aus
tria is amOnarc hy while we are republic.
France, with population OF thirty-six
millions expended, In 1873, on lts civil list
and administration eighty-nn millions of
dollars, as against our ninetytwo millions.
But there were embraced in this eighty-nine
millions no less than twenty-five millions tor
which the Government OF the United
States has no analogous expenditure.
These items, which in France are q
charge upon the public treasury, were tor pub
and science, 81 900; museums and fine
arts, $500, 900; telegraphic service, g. 900;
and prisons, 81, OO0,U 100. For none OF these OBJ
jects, which belong in our country to the local
or State governments, does Congress have to
provide II we deduct them from the French
budget, as we ought to do to afford a ia com
parison with our own, it would leave but sixty.
tour millions OF annual expenditure in France
for the same objects which cost the taxpayer
OF the United..States ninety-two millions.
The Empire OF Germany has forty-one mil
lions of people, and an expenditure on its
civil lists of one hundred and ten millions per
annum; but this embraces the civil govern
ment expenses of dozen separate govern
ments, including Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony,
Baden, Wirtemberg, &c. The actual expenses
of the confederate imperial government are
but little more than halt Oh this, leaving out
military and naval charges and public debt.
Great Britain, with a population of 81 co.,
00O in 1871, expended last year only $50, co.,,
600 ON its administ alton and civil list. But
this included the enormous proportion OF S2l,-
OOO, 900 for the administration OF justice, pris-
ons and police. which in our country tails
wholly upon the local governments, except
about -, 0OO, 900 for the Courts OF the United
States Great Britain, moreover, expended
Slo 900 600 out of its $50, 900 900 for public in
structon, for which our Federal Government
has no corresponding expenditure to show. 1t
follows that we in the [ nited States are maiu-
tanning the General Government at acost about
three times as great, comparatively, for ad-
miriStrative purposes, as that OF Great Britain,
which is so often denounced as extravsgant-
The Kingdom OF Italy, with y 900 in
habitants, spends $4,000, 900 on administra-
ton: but two thirds of this sum is expended
on such items as prisons, police, railroads,
telegraphs, roads and canals, agriculture, and
public instruction So that Italy expends
only about Ga, OO0, 900 annually on admiIistra-
ton, against our S92, O0O, 600.
The conclusion reached by the writer is
that if the United States were to practice the
same economy OF administration Is prevails on
the average in the six foremost nations IN the
| world, it would cut down our civil list from
ninety-t,ro millions per aasum to less than
fifty millions.
can it be possible chat government IF
the people is, necessarily, the most ex-
pensive government in the world!