The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-12-04
DOLLARS AND CENTS
AS SET FORTH ON THE NATIONAL
BALANCE SHEET.
Expln nation of the nominal" Increase
of the Debt-Cash Items-Atkins' In
dian POiicy-Postase Stamps and
Business-Points of Fact.

WASHINGTON CITY, Dec. 4.-The debt
statement shows an increase of the national
debt Of "a, ss7, 1913, which is explained as fol-
lows: Treasurer Jordan separated subsidiary
silvet. from other coin in the treasury,
and called it an unavailable asset
Then in July he exchanged a lot of
this unavailable silver with the New York
bankl for some available gold, and so the
debt, less cash in the treasury, was reduced
SO much. Last month the New York banks
returned their dimes and quarters and took
out legal tenders, and so there is just SO
much less cash to deduct from the gross debt
IN order to arrive at the net debt, and SO
the debt is apparently increased.
The increase of unavailable silver in No
vember was 81, S51, ll3, which, it will be
noticed, is almost exactly the sum by which
the debt is increased. The old method of
bookkeeping would have shown an actual
decrease of debt for the month. Interest
accrued, but not yet due, was never stated as
liability until last month Its enumera-
ton as liability of course reduces by SO
much the net cash balance in the treasury.
Nov / this accrued interest amounted to
about S7,25O,00O. Interest went OH accruing
during November, and on Dec. amounted
to little over S10,OOO,0OO. The increment
for November was 81 1884 $40. If this had
made reduction in the net debt.
The debt bearing no interest shows an i'll
crease of "a 800 600, of which $500, 900 are
In gold certificates and the remainder in sill
yer certificates, certificates Of deposit, and
fractional currency. The Understanding
debt shows practically no change. The debt
on which interest has ceased since ma turity
has been reduced s1G5,O0O
The treasurer's statement of the assets
and liabilities shows a gain in gold owned
by the treasury of $4,052, ST since Nov. l
and of $1,000 1888 since March l. 1t now
amounts to SIN, 391 ,iSG. The silver owned
by the treasury amounts to SIC, AS, 332-a
gain of 81 ,0Ss, 2a6 for the month and of $50,
1865, l47 in nine months. The net balance or
surplus in the treasury is now
$G1 800. 595, n decrease since Nov
II of s4,ss7, 697, but this is
accounted for by the return of subsidiary
coin to the treasury. Were the subsidiary
silver counted as a part of the treasurer's
cash, the surplus Nov l and Dec would be
practically the same thing. By the old form
of statement the surplus in the treasury
would he Sl9O, 467 ,015. The number Of silver
dollars in the treasury increased l,750,67G
during the month of November. Since
July the receipts have increased
| Ss73, 1O3 as compared with the same
| months in 1854, and the expenditures
| fell off 1884, los. There was an increase of
nearly Sl,5oo,o00 in pension payments,
though in the last fiscal year the pension
payments aggregated sd5, ,96l, or 5000,
| 900 more than in any previous year in our
history There was IA decrease of S5O0,00U
in interest and IA decrease of -, 500, 900 in the
ordinary expenses of the government. There
was slight increase in collections from Gus
toms and gain of over - ,oOo, 900 i'll inter
nal revenue