Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-07

the progress of science and useful arts by
securing for limited time to authors and
inventors the exclusive right to their respet
tive wLi ings aud discoveries, this Govern
mept did not feel warranted in becoming a
signatory pending the action of Congress
upon measures of international copyright
now before 1t, before the right of adhesion
to the Berne Convention hereafter has been
reserved. trust that the subject will re-
ceive at your hands the attention 1t de-
| serves and that the just claims OF authors,
so urgently pressed, VIII be duly needed.
| Representations continue to be made to me
| of the injurious effect upon American art
| lists studying abroad, and having free access
| to the art collections Of foreign countries of
maintaining Discrimination duty against
the introduction OF the works OF their
brother artists of other countries, and am
| induced 10 repeat my recommendation for
the abolition of that tax.
| Pursuant 10 a provision of the Diplomatic
and Consular Appropriation Act, approved
| July l, 1886, the estimates submitted by the
Secre ary of State for the
| MAINTENANCE OF THE CONSULAR SERVICE
Have been recast on the basis of salaries for
all officers to whom such allowance is
deemed advisable. Advantage has been
taken of this to distribute the salaries of
officers now appropriated for in accordance
with the work performed, the Importance
of the representative duties of the incum-
| bent and the cost of living at each post. The
last consideration has been too often lost
| sight of in the allowance heretofore made.
| The compensation which may suffice for
the decent maintenance of a working and
| capable officer in a position OF onerOus and
| representative trust at post readily acces-
| siDle to and where the necessaries of life
are abundant and cheap, may prove an in
| adequate pittance in distant lands where the
| better part OF a years pay is consumed in
reaching the post of duty and where the
| comforts OF ordinary CIVILIZED existence
| can only be obtained with dihiculty and at
exorbi ant cost trust that, in considering
the submitted schedules, no mistaken theo-
ry of economy will perpetuate a system
which in the past has beeu virtually closed
to deserving talent. Many ofhees, where
capacity and attainmepts of high order
are indispensable. in not few in
stances brought discredit on our nation
| al character aud entailed embarrassment
and even suffering on those deputed to up
hold our dignity and interests abroad. In
connection with this subject / earnestly re-
iterate the practical necessity of supplying
some .mode of trustworthy inspection
of the manner in which the consulates are
conducted. In the absence OF such reliable
information efficiency can scarcely be re-
warded or lis opposite corrected. Increas-
ing competition in trade has directed atten-
ton to the value of the consular rep 'rts
printed by the Department OF State, and the
efforts OF the Government to extend the
practical usefulness of these reports have
created wider demand for them at home
and a spirit of emulation abroad. COnstitut-
ing a record of the changes occurring in
trade, and of the progress OF the arts and
Invention in foreign countries. they are
much sought for by all interested in the
subjects which they embrace. The report
of the Secretary of the Treasury exhibits in
detail the
CONDITION OF THE PUBLIC FINANCE
And of the several branches of the Gov
ernment related to his department. l es-
pecially direct the attention of Congress to
the recommendations contained in this and
the last preceding report of the Secretary.
touching the simplifcation and amend
ment of the laws relating to the collection
of our revenues; and in the interest of
economy and justice to the Government, l
hope they may be adopted by appropriate
legislation. The ordinary receipts of the
Government for the fiscal year ended June
80, 1886. were 1896 4S9, 727,O6. OF this amount
1892. .905. .023 al was received from customs
and $ll6, sos, ,e36.4S from internal revenue.
while the total receipts as here stated were
sl3, 749. .020,6S greater than for the previous
year. But the increase from customs was
$11, ,434. OSLO, and from Internal revenue
81, ,407, ,2lO. "a, making a gain in these items
for the last year of $i5, 81 ,395.04 falling off
in other resources during the year making
the total increase to the smaller amount
mentioned. The expense at the different
custom houses of collecting this increased
customs revenue was
LESS THAN THE EXPENSE
Attending the collection of such revenue
for the preceding year by $4O,6os. and the
increased receipts of internal revenue were
collected at a cost to the Internal Revenue
Bureau of s155. 5.945 SO less than the expense
OF such collection for the previous year.
The total ordinary expenses of the Govern
ment for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1886.
were $342. .s43, 1850, being less by $17.7ss,797
than such expenditures for the year pre-
ceding, and leaving a surplus in
the Treasury at the close of OF the
as G against sss, iss, ,77l27 at the close Of the
previous year. During an increase In such
surplus of $50, 49,, ,S17 %, the expenditures
are compared with those of the preceding
fiscal year and classified as follows: For
civil expenses, year ending June 30, 1886,
$2l ,955. $4,000. Year ending June 30, 1885, 2S,-
S24942.l1. For foreign intercourse, $133,-
235 ,0Ss; $543. 800, gil. For Indians, $609.9
sl7; $685., ,249.2 1868 For pensions, $685. 404 s6403;
river and harbOr improvements and arse.
nals), s34, ,S24. 1874: s42 670,57S.49 For the
| navy Gncluding vessels, machinery and i'm
plements and improvements of navy yards,
on public debt, $5O,5sO, 1897 $51, 1856, ,256 AZ
| For the District of Columbia 1892, ,321 S9
| SO. .449, ,450.95. Miscellaneous expenditures,
including public building, light houses and
|
| 72S 056 81; for the current year to end June
| 30, 1887, the ascertained receipts up to Octo-
ber l, 1886, with such receipts estimated for
the remainder of the year, amount to $685.
| 100000.
The expenditures ascertained and esti-
mated for the same period are 1886. .000. 900,
| indicating a surplus at the close of the year
of $50, ,000,0 600.
| THs TOTAL VALUE OF THE EXPORTS
From the United States to foreign countries
during the fiscal year. is stated and com
pared with the preceding year as follows;
For the year ending
| June 30, $50. June 30, 'S5.
Domesti Mdse. s665 .964 ,529 $726,6S2, GAG
Foreign Mdse ....,.. 13560,301 15506,Sla
| Gold ................ 42952 l9l 3477,S9l
Silver ................ 295l1.2l9 1888, ,694
| The value of some of our leading
EXPORTS DURING THE LAST OFFICIAL YEAR,
AS compared with the value of the same
for the year Immediately preceding is here
given, and furnishes information both in
teresting and sugg stive for the year ending
| Juns 30, 1886 June 30, 1885,.
oo'ISa %apafac.ures af o s219o45,5.s sais, o4s
TOBACCO nfsc,apss and Its Man so424scs 247s2ao5
BresdstufIs' '......... 1875, ,s46.55s 16O,37O,s21
Provisions ........... 90,625,2l6 107, ,232. 456
| Our imports during the last fiscal year, as
compared with the previous year, were as
! follows: 1886, 1885, merchandise, $685., 1885,
1s6, $57s $780, S. co. gold $2o,743,3i9, $2,669,-
696; silver Sl7, ,s5O,3O7, $l6,55o,627. In my last
annual message to Congress attention was
| directed to the fact that revenues of the
Goyernment exceed its actual needs, aud
| il was suggested that legislative action
should be taken to relieve the people from
| THE NECESSARY BURDEN OF TAXATION
Thus made apparent, in view of the press
ing importance of the subject. deem it my
duty to again urge its consideration. The
income of the Government. with +, is in.
creased volume and thorough economies in
| its collection, is now, more than ever, in eX-
| cess of public necessities. The application
of the surplus to the payment of such por-
tion of the public debt as is now at our op.
tion, subject to extinguishmentif continued
at the rate which has late y prevailed would
retire that indebtedness within less than
one year from this date; thus continual