Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-07-07
THE COST OF THE G0VERNMENT
How Much Money 1t Requires to Run
the Machine.

| AaON uuCn money IL Requires 10 ktun
| the Machine.
THE CLOSING OF THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE PAST
| YEAR-wHAT ENGLAND PAYS FOR Irs GOVERN
AENT-A NEW WATCHDOG OF THE TREAS
| URY-THE ''SLUSH FUND.- THING OF THE
| PAST.
The end of the fiscal year In all the depart.
! ments Of the government is marked by the adj
justment of the accounts with the government
and their final closing out. The ledgers which
contain the records of the expenditures Of the
past year are closed, the accounts balanced, and
the word "Finis' written over the last page.
Unlike the accounts OF a private Individual the
balancing is not followed with the trans
fer of whatever remains over to. the
new account which is opened with the new
year. The old books are closed and the balance
returned to the Treasury. while the amounts
appropriated for the new year by Congress are
entered upon the ledgers and the new accounts
| begin. This balance, which the government
claims at the close of the year, varies all the
| way from five to eight million of dollars. These
five to eight million, however. are somewhat
when the total amount Of the expenditure is
stated.
A COMPARISON WITH ENGLAND.
Perhaps there are but few citizens of this
republic, where each one has voice In the man.
agement of affairs and the amounts to be ex-
pended Of the public revenues, who would be
able to tell how much this government costs
the tax payers in hard dollars and cents The
figures show that last year there was expended
about s382, 600. 900, which represents the total
cost Of the government including current ex-
penses and the interest on the national debt.
! How much of this will be returned as balance
to the treasury cannot be ascertained Just at pres
emit. but the balance will probably not amount
to more than five or six million. This
amount was unusually large owing to the
increased amount for pensions and the large
appropriations for rivers and harbors. This
year it is calculated that the government can
struggle along on about $3l8,OOO,OOO. AS the
receipts OF the government exceeds this amount
| by considerably over a million, and taxation Is
not especially burdensome, the figures are not
as formidable as they seem. In England, where
the population is considerably less, If the reve-
nues cover the expenditures. with surplus Of q
| few dollars, the chancellor Of the exchequer liz
supposed to have achieved a bowling success
| But the cost Of running the English govern
ment last year was about S416, 100000. Then,
we have only President that costs $50 900 per
year, with the expenses Of his household and
office at $4,000, making about $4,000 in all.
The exact figures as given in the appropria
| tion bill will be of interest:
salary account Office Of the PRESIDENT: ssOG
| Contingent expenses, Office OF the Presi-
Repairs, fuel, etc, Executive Mansion. $500
s127.os4
majesty's household 81, 925 O0O and $3.50 900 in
annuities to members Of the royal family In
point OF dollars and cents, this government
may be said to be somewhat superior to that
| which rules the land across the seas.
| THE TREASURY WATCH DOG.
The accounts Of the disbursing officers Of the
various departments indicate how carefully
Congress guards the expenditure Of the appro-
priations made for the expenses Of the govern
ment. What is known as Specific appropria-
| tiOns" Is the watch dog that guards the q. g..
Treasury, although some members OF both
houses aspire to this canine honor, and have
been dubbed with this sOubriquet by their adj
| miring fellow-members. By specific appropria-
| lions Congress names the expenditure that
| 1t wishes to be made and the amount
| that can be used. The contingent fund.-
| or what used to be known as the ''slush fund"
| no longer exists. There is q contingent fund in
| all the departments. but the foe Of corruptive
'specifc appropriation" has finally got this in
| its clutches and specific amounts are appropri-
ated for the care Of horses, the purchase Of
| furniture, hardware, soap, &c. So when the
| head OF department wants to give a little
lunch to his friends, at the expense Of the gov
| eminent, he has a voucher made out for file
| holders or hardware. A sum in gross at the
disposal of any department of the government is
thing Of the past.
OPINION OF A Discussing OFFICER.
| As disbursing officer in one of the depart
| ments remarked to q STAR man recently,
''every item is so strictly provided for by Con-
gress that we cannot go wrong if we wish to.
There are no lump sums, and II the appropria-
ton for specific object is exhausted our requi-
sitions upon the Treasury would not be recog
| nzed."
INCREASE IN THE ANNUAL COST.
In spite of the fact that no appropriation was
made for the present year for rivers and harbors
| the total amount allowed for the expenses of
the government is larger then any previous
year, with exception Of last year. The in
crease is mainly due to the amount required for
pensions, which is over $4,000, 900. Last year
is was Sl16, OOO, 900. There was also an increase
last year from the same cause in the clerical
force of about 1900 clerks, while this year the
additional number of clerks provided for is very
small, perhaps not aggregating in all the depart
mentS 100.
THE LAPSE FUND.
There Is one feature of the accounts of the de-
partments this year which Is perhaps entirely
novel, and that Is the balance which will be
turned into the Treasury for the appropriation
| for the pay Of clerks. Heretofore that has al
ways been the fund which has been expended
| down to the last cent. But Congress last year
abolished what was known as the lapse fund,
| which enabled the heads OF the departments to
use the salaries accumulated in the case Of
vacancies for the employment Of new clerks In
| the Treasury department alone the amount
turned in this year is SIS 900, while in the Post
dana fnn holn no%k 1Ao