The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-07-14
WASHINGTON.
WHAT rnE PEOPLE PAY 10 M oovrRyrp.

WASHINGTON, July l2.-The returns o
collections are all In at the Treasury, ant
from theseit Is learned that the receipts
for the last fiscal year were S27S, Oh, ,9l6
It Is estimated that the population Of the
country Is now about ID, 900, 900, so thai
the General Government In effect levie'
within few cents Of So upon every man
woman and child In the land, or about S4C
to each family. Deduct the poor whites
and negroes in the South who CONSUME
little that Is taxed, and nothing that l.
imported, and the burden upon which
fall upon the average well.to.do people oi
the country Is very heavy, amounting, II
Is believed, In such States as New York,
Ohio and Illinois, 10 fully IS per capita,
The taxes collected by the General Gov.
ernment are more than twice as much as
are required to support ail Of the State
Governments.
AMERICAN CHEAP LABOR AND MATERIAL.
The tumble in prices which has been
going on here for the past seven years Is
supposed TO have effected landing on
genuine hard pan. In 1872 the laying OF an
asphaltum pavement cost, by contract,
s. 70 per square yard. The same style 0f
pavement on the same streets Is now laid
by contract for from 81 45 to 81 70 per
yard. This represents the enormous lall
in prices OF labor and material.
A given amount OF material and labor
on npublic buildings here now costs about
half what 1t did In 1872. That wear the
Government paid s. IS a keg for nails;
now 81 %. Brick then cost $l4 per thou.
sand; now 50 40. Cement then cost 81 65
q barrel, now 00c. Many officials here
think the Government should take advan-
tage OF this condition OF the labor and ma
terial market and build all the public
buildings necessary to all the large cities.
Others, however, contend that there will
be no substantial rise IN the labor aud ma
terial market during the remainder OF the
present century. The conditions are all
against it,
FALsE ALARM OF AN OHIO MAN.
A story is told of prominent Ohio Re.
publican, who came here impressed with
the belief that there were a number OF
Democrats employed in the Treasury De-
partment from Ohio. He saw Secretary
Sherman and urged that these alleged
Democrats be turned out, and their places
filled by Republicans. There is no chance
for an Ohio Republican, or Democrat
either, for that matter, to get into the
Treasury Department at present, as the
quota Of the State is full. BY law the Of
tices in the Treasury are apportioned
among the States, according to population.
The quota OF Ohio Is 1872, and it Is filled.
Secretary Sherman handed the Ohio man
q list OF the appointees from Ohio, and
they carefully went over the same, but
they failed to find a single one whom they
could class as Democrat. They found a
few who had supported Greeley, but as
half OF the present Cabinet did likewise,
and as the very staunchest adherents OF
the Republican party and friends Of the
present administration are among those
who supported Greeley, 1t is not consider
ed sufficient to call in question mans
loyalty to his party at this late day.
The Ohio Republican was satisfied with
his States representation in the Treasury,
and went home without scalps.
CHARACTER OF suERNAN's CANDIDACY.
Secretary Shermau's attention has been
called to dispatches intimating that he
would use the patronage OF his office to
advance his interests as a Presidential
candidate. He denies this in the most
emphatic manner. He says that he is
only candidate In the same way that
many others are Cassed as candidates;
that he expects every Republican to free
ly express his opinion and as freely to
make his choice Of candidates, and he
wo uld do nothing to influence the judg
ment Of those holding public Office, and
that he would not accept the nomination
unless it was the clear and distinct desire
of the majority Of the Republican party,
without bias or influence from office
holders or offiCe-seekers. Officers OF his
department, he said, are like all other
people-they have the right to express
their preference, and so far as he was con-
cerned they would not be injured or aid.
ed because OF their preference for or oppo-
sition to him.
pOnTAT CIR Arfartc1