The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-12-21

made in these columns during the re-
cent political canvass concerning the
saving in the expenditures of the state
government by a democratic admins
tration and democratic house of repre-
sentatives 1t will oe remembered that
the Patriot asserted that the expen.
ditures OF the state government, includ-
ing the cost of the special session of
the Legislature, for the fiscal year end
ing November 80, 1888, would be con-
siderably less than the expenditures of
state government in 1881, the last pre-
ceding year in which the legislature
was in session. This assertion was
laughed to scorn by the republican
journals although they were utterly
unable TO disprove it. But the final
and complete triumph of the Patriot
in this contention is now at hand The
statement of TIE Auditor Gener-
ais office giving the expenditures Of
the state government for the fiscal year
Just closed furnishes a complete and
overwhelming vindication Of our as.
sertion. 1t proves that the expendi-
lures of the state government for the
fiscal year just ended, including the
cost of the special session of the legis.
lature, mere less than the expenditures
Of tie state government for the fiscal
gear ending Noyembor 80, 1881.
For the proofs let us have recourse
to the official figures. The total ex-
penditures of the state government
for the two years in comparison were
In 1881 ..... .......... 124 $40 40
In 1882 ''''' ....."... ,............ 5735,S0 62
Less in 1888 than In 1881 ... see. ..si, ,4ss,5ia 81
The reader is referred to the Audi
tor Generals Report for 1881, page 1874,
and the same document for 1882, page
l59, for the items which make up the
gross sum of the expenditures for 1881.
In the Auditor Generals Report for
1881 the total expenditures for that
year are set down as S6,926,Sl0.20,
but it will be remembered that the sal
aries of members Of legislature were
paid only in part during that year, the
right of the members to their per diem
for the fifty days of the session follow
ing the first 100 days having been liti-
gated in the courts and final decision
rendered in their favor during the fs-
cal year 1882 Hence their salaries
for fifty days, aggregating $197,610.29,
were not paid until 1882. This amount
of course belongs to the expenditures
of 1881 and when added to the total
given in the Auditor Generals report
for 1881, as above stated makes the
real total of the expenditures for that
year 81, ,124, ,420.47.
The total expenditures for 1883 are
set down in the statement of the Audi
tor General Just given to the press, at
So, S,69022. But of thas sum $685.
$3.50 We're paid out in the purchase
of United States bonds and cannot be
regarded as expenditures for the
purchase of the bonds was simply an
exchange of non-productive assets for
Others producing interest A. any rate
it cannot he considered under the head
of expenditures in making compa-
rison with 1881, for during that year
no United States bonds were purchas-
ed. We therefore deduct 1860. 1880
from the alleged total of expenditures
for 1893, and find the true total to
be S5,735,S77. as above exhibit
| ed.
| But there are also credits or alowan-
res to go to the ledger for 1881 as fol-
! lows:
| Excess or Interest on loans In 1881 over
same in 1883 .... ................. 1858 500 OF
Excess of eschea s In 1881 over in 1888. 1850 43
| Excess OF moneys paid to common
schools In 1s over 1888 6i5,29i 94
Excess of pensl, rs and gratuiGies p..lA
] in 1881 over 1888 .,......-............ 4,405 81
Total ............. ...........".. $SSs, 057 Oo
Subtractlng this total from the sum
found above as the decrease in expen-
ditures in 1883 as compared with 1881,
as follows:
Allowances, as above ................" SSS,O37 %
| we ntVe... SoOVicVo 90
Thus $6OO,5O5.S3 would remain as
the actual decrease of expenditures in
1883 as compared with 1881. But
1883 is to be credited with the redemp-
tion Of loans and the payment of pre-
miums on loans redeemed to the extent
of Sl05,396.15 in excess of payments
on the same accounts in 1881. This
brings up to S705,89l.9S the actual
decrease in 1888 in all expenditures of
the government absolutely under the
control of the legislative and executive
departments as compared with the
same in 1881. The expense of the
special session of the legislature just
ended was about $500,000. Deduct
this amount from S705,S0l.9S and
S205, 5,89l.9S remains as the net actual
gain for the people under democratic
administration of the government dur
ing the past eleven months. This is
very close to the figure at which the
Patriot estimated the saving during
the late political canvass.
How was this saving effected The
principal items in which retrenchment
was made are as follows:
Public printing and binding .......... $2l0,S 46
| Public buildings and grounds. ..,.,...... 9,799 o.
Stationery and supplies ......~,..... S,s9i 90
Advertising Observation-Disclosures. 6363 81
| Expenses of the two houses OF the legis-
lature for regular session .......... 1884 90
Charitable institutions 2i9 242 60
Penitentiares, etc c..................... 63536 80
House OF refuge, Philadelphia 1855 90
Agricultural college. e. .........,.. 1900 90
Under head OF ''Mlscellaneous' ......... 29ll1 81
There were other savings, but they
are nearly balanced by items of unavoi-
dable increase, such as the payment of
military claims, expenses of special
commissions, DC,
The analysis just given however, is
quite sufficient to show that the great
retrenchment effected was achieved by
careful legislation and economical ad-
ministration. The vetoes of Governor
Pattison were also potential in effect
ing this splendid result. A saving of
nearly quarter of million of dollars,
| with the LEGISLATURE in session eleven