The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-10-09
BAD SHOWING.
The DlssAtISfactiop With the Work Of the
Last Congress.

Last Congress.
WASHINGTON, Oct. Stu preparing thu
annual estimates, the President and tbs
heads Of the departments do not find the
work OF the last Congress very satisfactory
The appropriations, for which a Demo
cratic Committee of Appropriation and q
Democratic House are mainly responsible,
we're much greater than it is now be
lieved they should have been. An at
temp. is therefore to be made to secure q
considerable reduction, as no good show
ing for economy can bs made on the basis
OF the last Democratic figures.
1t is a noteworthy fact that during the
fiscal year ending June 20, 1855, the civil
Expenses of the Government reached a
higher figure than ever before, namely,
SS7, ,40I, ,25S. These figures are exclusive
Of the expenditures made on account OF
the army, the navy, Indians, pensions and
interest on the public debt, which swell
the aggregate expenditures Of the year to
S96O, ,225 ,9S5. For the tan years ending
With June 30, 1870, which included the
entire period of the rebellion, the average
expenditures on account OF civil and mis-
Cellaueous items was S21 ,6S9 900, or less
than one-third OF the amount expended
for like purposes during the last fiscal
year. Following the war, these expenses
we're swollen by the payment OF claims
for property captured and destroyed by
the military forces, but these "Warclaims"
do not make any showing in the expendi-
lures for last year, and yet the aggregate Of
that year is nearly Sl7, ,O00, ,00oin excess OF
that rthe precedingye ard Si4 coz, 900,
over the highest point previously reached.
Several OF the items which go TO swell the
aggregate OF last year may be called ex.
traordinary, but the recklessness OF Con-
gress in making appropriations and the
extravaganza OF the Executive Depart
ment in expending them, are largely ac-
countAbls for the dissipation OF many
millions OF dollars.
The extraordinary expenditures OF last
year foot up aboutSl4, ,0O0, 600, and include
the following items: Pacific Railroads.
sinking fund, s., 600 600; postal deficiency,
caused m4inly by the reduction OF the let
ter rate from three to t%o cents, $780,
900; Alabama awards, S3,000,000; New
Orleans Cotton Exposition, 81 500, 600.
Deducting these four items would still
leave last years civil expenditures the
highest in the history OF the Government.
Comparing the fiscal years 1875 aud 1885,
a very sharp contrast Is found in the sew
eral items OF expenditures, aud notably in
the columns for civil and miscellaneous,
pensions and interest and the public
debt. While the annual interest charge
is not one-half as large as in 1875, the PEN
sion list is now twice as great a inthe
year named. The following dgures sneE
the several items OF expeDditurefor the
two years: 1875 Civil, ST. 070 703; army,
S4l. 100 646; navy, $2l ,497 626; Indians,
SS.SS4 657; pensions, SO 456 2l6; interest,
SlO3 093544; total. S27462S,392. 1856
Civil, $S7, 40 /, ,25S army, $42 &c. SIS; navy,
Sl6 OIL ,0SO; Indians, 0.552 49j; pensions,
$50 l02 26I; interest, S5l ,3s6. .256; total,
$l60, ,326, ,S35.
Deductiug the interest charge for the
two years gives the total for 1885 as $685.
$40 679, against Sill $50 $40 for 1873.
Deducting the amounts paid for pensions
and interest in the respective years gives
the total OF 1885 as $I52 T3s. .4l2, against
Sl42, OFT, ,633, on excess OF about Sll ,000,-
900, which Congress can cut off without
dettiment TO the public interests.
This matter OF retrsnching the public
expenditures is occupying the serious at.
tension of the president and the several
chiafa nf the ia0aPtmAnfa