The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-04-29
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DsssssA Hsss.s a.A E.pcsasssrs .. 1883
Ae. Chslaers's DudGet-Csst sfthe Esyptaaa
WsS-ssas Iteas Of Ex Expenditure.
LONDON, April 1O.-The financial statement
which the Chancellor Of the Excheouer annu-
ally presents to Parliament for the year ending
March 81 Is called the budget. One would
naturally suppose that the national accounts
Of a country might be stated In such definite
form that any careful accountant would find
the totals to be the same as those stated BY the
Chancellor himself. These British accounts
are not Of that kind. Thoy belong to that
curious class OF things that give different ~
suits when observed from different points OF
Wow. II you count such an item the total
will b so much. and II you dont count It the
total will b less. The Chancellor himself gen
orally doesn't count items Of that kind. 1t IL
convenient way Of reducing the totals. and
makes the budget read better.
The Gladstone Administration came in on
great wsvs Of reform. They said the Tories
were too extravasant. among other things. and
that EXPENSE must be reduced. The new Ad-
ministration has now had . three years. trial
and it, efforts toward reform have resulted in
= steady increase Of expenditure. OF course.
they have plenty Of reasons for this growth. It
Ii the business Of q good Minister to furnish
good reasons for all his results. even though
they are made expressly to At those results
after the results have happened. Mr.. Chiiders
does this most admirably. He says they have
been paying the war debts be0ueathed TO Thorn
by their predecessors. and this the latter most
stoutly deny Then thoy were involved in
war with Egypt. brought on. they say. by
Arab. and they do not expect any moro wars
for some time to come. Tho Beers Of the
Transvaal have violated some Of their express
al AZ tvun oDn - hal
England was at war with them. and the only
thing that prevents a renewal OF that war is
hsnasa Mhen iss to snas
that they fear IN renew the struggle.
ye The osea ss sHa tS Ss the
100000. Tho usual expenditure Of the United
been about 500 600. 900 less than that Of Great
Britain, and the reduction Of debt has been
in the past year. But the English Govern
ment includes in its accounts some items
which do not figure IN ours S at ALL The tee; re
Government. and this, one item adds some
s6.Ooo,o oo to the expenditure though the reve-
are some other items Of this kind. but the fact
still remains that the government OF Is 900. 100
ossr IN she United S staes ana yet
the government Of our own country cannot DO
accused OF very severe economy.
British customs duties are levied chiefly on
articles Of food and drink, such As tea, coffee.
Cocoa spirits wine. and tobacco. The customs
aSos the usual fhe eScss duties
come almost wholly from licenses to sell In,
malt made within the country. They consti.
tute considerably more than one-fourth OF the
national revenue. and customs and excise to-
getner produce q little over one-haf OF the
yielded .isi, $50. 900. and thres. ffths Of this
in the country. The revenue from this source
has diminished little in the past few years.
see il. Even the Chancellor of tho Excheauer
says it interfcrss with his revenue somewhat.
-was s36 100 0IO This is often spoken OF as
death duties" for it comes almost wholly
deeds. and letters Of administration. &c. The
tax on incomes yielded SIS. 5oD, 600.
The receipts o from o the Poet Once Depart;
service. The postal service alone yields about
SIS. go 900 yearly. and. as nearly as possible.
u yield: very email net profit: as Je,
purchasing the telegraph lines in 1870. The
piass in tic United K,nsdom. and This in il;
cludes delivery within the limits OF the postal
the ree.iVins cfi,ce in small towns. 1t pfa O.
half mile or more beyond the suburbs Of ali
towns. There is now prospect Of reduction
in the cost OF teieGrams TO IL CENTS but the bill
On the side OF expenditure the total charge
for interest and management OF the national
creasIng somewhat. The deb. Itself was re.
Beacons shields Administration the ave- rage an
nual reduction Of the debit was about *l5. 900 0OJ
annual sp1 IN n Sesres yehsr ns I, ga 5 vesEe
Childers says tho debt has been reduced by
:53j0oq .0o since 1857. but the Financial Re-
form Almanac-a very reliabi. authority on
such subJacts-says the reductions in that time
has been only al! about $500 .oooco. by different
rs the Mr. s ssrs SSt the
i Beae"nsted Government ief, them war war
total cost 70 England Of the Afghan war
was ,sGi.0Oo,O0l., and India paid good
war in South Africa cost $1,000 900 MIR. Child
ers says that large part OF thess two tems
very nearly s25.OO0.O00. OF which the home
Government pays nearly s2o,0oo.9oo, and India
ernmcnt that the entire home charge con-
neeted with the Egyptian, war has been paid
the army. is put down IN cost SIS 600 600 and
this is an increase Of about half q million over
the year lust closed. The navy is to cost s53
gether are to cost sl3l 500. 600 which doe. no,
include some minor items. which would in
and military purposes alone England spends
s2.s, 5000 year, or about two thirds Of the
cntlTo revenue. Inc ueDt Itself was wholly
created by wars OF the present and previous
centuries, 80 that this entire sum may be said TO
be expended for war purposes
The cost OF the civil service is $50 900 900
and the collection Of the inland revenue and
customs costs another sum Of sl3. 100000 The
entire expenditures for the next year are put
down at t42S. as 900 or about SIS $50 900 les -
than last year. 1t is charged by many that the
national expenditure IL growing out Of all rea-
son. but Mr.. Gladstone says the per cent OF in
crease is much less than tina, Of tho population
in the past forty years. The increase since
1870 however. has been at much greater rate
than the increase of population. In that period
the increase has been from about 1850 900, ooO
a year to s425 900. 900. for this latter figure is
not above the average OF the past five
years. and the former figure is rather ever the
average OF the five years preceding 1870 The
increase Of expenditure has been as much as
twenty two per cent whio the increase Of
population In tho same period is less than
fourteen per cent But national expenditure
should not increase by any means in the Same
ratio a. the population. for the government Of
fifty millions of people requires but one sove-
reign, one Cabinet. one. Parliament with PER
haps. slightly increased numbers and SO on.
lust as when the population was only twenty