The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-05-06
THE ENDEAN Budget.
Considerable Talk Abo2t the
Deficit.


London, 5.-rhe Standard, in an
editorial article, commenting on tle
deficit IN the Afghan finances, says:
There seems to be, unfortunately, DO
room Tor GOabt that the recent glow
ing financial calculation of the Indiun
government have proved, 10 use a
gentle expression, untrustWcIthy.
The Indian budget wac laid before
the legislative council at Cal-
cutta on the 24,h OF February, and
showed a gross and detail Improve
meut, which Sir Stafford Northcote.
chancellor OF the excneqUer, lead Pa
lament to expect. Sir John Strachey
uuiolded a series IF SURPRISES which
changed the aspect OF the former
estimates and seemingly made clear
that the Gums at tue disposal of ih
government OF India, after meeting
all usual demands OF XXI enditure,
wouli be sufficient t. clsar OF the
whole cost of the Afghan war. The
figures 81 Sir John SUracbey were dis
cussed during tee elections with
much interest, and were generally
accepted as "A proof that tae condition
Of cur fellow subjects IN India was by
no means as TAI as painted. Some
time after the budget w2s produced,
the government at Calcutta discovered
there would be glaring discrepancy
betWesn the financial results actua' !
realized aGd those promised by th-
Vicsroy' 5 chancellor OF the exchequel
The discrepancy was yAri0usly stated
at from 100000 TO G5,000, COZ
Either SUM would unfortunately by
large enough 10 throw oil the finances
Of the empire into confusion,
al least tor tue present. and if the
deficiency exists, the whole OF the
special arguUeB. by which Sir Stat
TO- d NOIthc0ta aud Mr.. Stanhope ju4
tilted toe poioy Of the late severn
men:, falls to lie ground OF details
nothing Is known at present, cad
nothing will be known anti Psrlia-
meat Is again assembled and the
question on the subject has bsen an
swered by the Marquis o. Harrington.
1t seems certain that the strange mis-.
calculation arose through underesti-
mating the co't of The Afghan war.
1t Is alleged that 10 India Sir john
Slrachey's view of toe matter Was op-
posed by high military authorities,
who were better ali to compute the
rate at which money ia being spent 10
AfghauistRn. The most favorable
view which can be taken Of !ns case,
if the discrepancy is as great IS has
been asserted. is ina. there vas eE
iseme retkisssness or gross negligence
on he part Of lbe financial authori-l
ties il India
4 minute of member Of the In
dian council iOr tie military depart
meDt, and memoraud1m IRON the !
military accountant general, explain |
the manner in which the estimates |
we're made and the reasons why the |
military department believed them |
and officially recommended
the finance department to adopt
them. The minute declares that the
military dspar ment Is entirely
They fa.lsd to foresee
5hst il would Be necessary TO purchase,
instead of hiring means. for transport
alton; that il would be necessary to
lend 30 the frontier supplies greatly
exceeding IN quantity the actual
-equirements of troops in the field;
hat they failed 10 take into account
be enormous advance in the prices
# grain and ether supplies in conse- :
luence Of the famine, and that higher I
wages we're psit to laborert and camp
blowers On foreign than on ordinary
ervlce. The prolongation of war
'eyoDd the tlm5 anticipated, the ne
essiy o! erecting defensive works al J
aEious points and the necessity Of
requently renewing the won out
Means Of transport are pointed out 2
: further items net taken
lto account. The dispatch deelsres
lat the condition OF the Indian
nances, apart from war, continued (
logougAly satisfactory, and the esli- /
letes Of the revenue have been real
ed, that the general financial coz
itIon Is as good as was described in 4
Re budget statement, and that but i
T tie war, there would have been a
'rplus Of s4.000,O0O 10th in 1879
I'd 1880.