The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-07
SOME FACTS ABOUT UNCLE SAN.

10 wiz 1900
pensions item leads the list with S56, O0O.>
900; next is miscellaneous, including pub
lie buildings lighthouses, collecting the
revenue, etc, S54. 900, 900; interest on the
public debt, $5l,000000 the sinking
fund. $4,000, 600; military. including
rivers, harbors and arsenals $43, 600 900;
civil expenses, congress, judiciary, etc.
1924, DOC, 900; navy, $4,000, 900. Indians,
SO. 900, 900; foreign intercourse, $4,000
600, and District of Columbia, $780,
600.
Uncle Sam takes in good deal of
money in the course of year. We are
all taxpayers, and we ought to know
where these three hundred and twenty.
two millions come from. Ninety per
cent of the revenus, or 1894, 600, 600. are
from customs and internal revenue taxes,
$1S1 ,000, 600 coming from the custom
houses. Sales of public lands turn in
$500, 900, tax on national banks. So
000, 600. profit on coinage, ETC.. $4,000
600, and fees consular, patents and
lands) 81, 100000
Cotton is still the leading article of ex~
port, being 30 per cent of the whole. The
cotton exports were: Unmanufactured,
s2O2, 900, 900; manufactured, $12,
900. Next to cotton is breadstuffs,
$160 000,0O0, or 22 per cent of the
whole. Provisions are third. with S1O7.-
100000, or Is per cent. Most Of the
breadstuffs and nearly all of the provls-
ions pass through the city of Chicago.
Oil is fourth in Importance. with S54.-
000. 900. or y per cent, tobacco being
fifth. with 3.4 per cent.
In 1895 the governments expenditures
were four millions; in 1905. six millions;
in 1915, twenty seven millions; in 1925,
eleven millions; in 1885, seventeen mil>
lions; in 1915, twenty. two millions; in
1855, fifty>two millions; in 1865, twelve
hundred millions; in 1875, one hundred
and $, venty millions, and in 1885, two
hundred and fifty millions These figures
exclude the interest on the public debt
Uncle Sam paid out during 1885. a mil
lion week for interest on the public debt.
Even at that he got off easier than he has
in any year since 1858. In 1867 he paid
out for this purpose $l44 .000, 900, a sum
nearly equal to his present total expenses,
excluding interest and sinking fund.
Even as recently rs 1880 the interest bur.
den was 800 10000
Our watchful Uncle employs $50 men
to inspect steamboat boilers and examine
masters, engineers and pilots. These
men inspected $500 steamers during the
year, and did their work so carefully that
only thirty>one accidents occurred, caus>
ing the loss of 1873 lives This is the
smallest loss yet recorded, being but one
life to every forty-three vessels inspected.
The pension office is one of Uncle Sans
biggest concerns. 1t bears upon its rolls
the names Of 345. 900 persons, of whom
PAL 900 are army invalids and $4,000
widows and minor children of deceased
soldiers. The survivors of the war o!
1912 are still with us to the number Of
EOS, while the widows of those who serv,
ed in that war number II 900
On the entire amount of customs duties
collected last pear 20 per cent wss co.'s
lected from the followin. articles Of ime
port Sugar and malasses, 90; wool and
its manufactures, Is; silk and its manu>
features. s; iron and steel and their man
ufactures, : cotton manufactures, 6; flax.
hemp and lutte aud their manufactures, .
We are now in the midst of goxern-
ment fiscal year. The reports are for the
year ending June 80 last Estimates are
given for the remainder of this year and
for the Year 10 come. A surplus Of S24,-
coo, OG0 is expected this year, and curl
ously enough deficit of nearly the same
sum for the gear ending June 80 1887,
Our Indian population, exclusive of
those in Alaska, is reported as numbering
10000, nearly all being located on lands
set apart for their use and occupation.
aggregating over 1874, 600 900 of acres
As this is more than 500 acres to each In
dian, buck, squaw, papoose, warrior or
half,breed. the tribes should not siarve.
Uncle Sam has S4O0,OOO0O0 in
his strong box. and in this re-
spect is not hard up. But be
owes $1,S4S,000, 900 and is there,
fore 81 44S, 00O,0 600 behind the world.
Fifty-five millions of people are his in
dorsers, however, and his credit 10 pretty
good the world over. He can get trusted
for anything he wants
Sugar and molasses lead the imports,
with value of S77 ,000,0 900, or 10 per
cent of the whole. Coffee is next, with
sac, 900. 600 or s per cent. Wool third,
a million dollars lower, and silk fourth.
The export of raw cotton is 300, 900, 600,
and the import of manufactured cotton,
s27,000,000.
One-third of the public debt bears no
interest. The interest bearing debt is 81,
100000. Two hundred and eighteen mil
lions of this bears per cent, $3.50. 600
600 Al per cent, and S73S,000. 900 4 per
ceut. Sixty five millions of Pacific Rail-
way bonds bear 6 par cent interest.
About one man in ten of all those who
enlisted in the late war are reported as
receiving pension, exclusive of the de
pendents of deceased soldiers. On the
lst of July, 1875. the number of pension
ers was 234, S21, and the increase within
the ten years next thereafter was 1l0, 304.
The revenue marine service guarding
coasts, inspecting merchant vessels, visits
ing lighthouses, etc, under direction of
Treasury Department. is larger than most
people think. 1t contains fleet of
thirty-niAe vessels, manned by more than
1000 men.
Uncle Sam looks pretty carefully after
the welfare of his subjects who 60 down
to the sea in ships. Tie maintains more
than 200 life saving stations, the crews
of which saved more than 1000 lives
during the year, losing eleven.
June 30 last there were 5l,252 posts
offices in this country, 1888 of those be
ing filled by presidential appointment
New York has greater number of pres
idental offices than any other state-213-
Illinois being next with 1871.
The exports Of domestic merchandise
from the United States to foreign coun-
-. las x,aar A R-Oc nAA nfn,