New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-10
ABOUT THE PUBLIC DEBT.
srcRETARY WINDOW CORRECTING ERRo.
NEoUS IMPRESSIONS.
THE MIsAppREHENsIoN DUE TO THE FORM OF
THE MONTHLY sTATEMENT-THE DEBT
DECREASING, NoT INCREAsING.

DECREASING, NOT INCREASING.
washington, Sept. o.-Refcrring to certain news
paper statements that in the months Of July and
August OF this year the public debt had been In
creased over s7oOoo00, While during the same
months in 1883 the debt had been decreased over
sI1 100000. Secretary Window today said:
Those statements convey an entirely erroneous i'm
preston Tho fact IS as shown by the books OF tho
treasury. that on June 80, 1850, the total amount
81 the public debt including bonds of all kinds, was
1906 3s5 987, and on August 81 il was only SoIo,-
7s.s07, showing reduction of S20,0l0,1s0 In those
Two months. The reduction for the same months OF
asst year only about onethrd OF that amount
viz: s7.o51. 27o. Tho reduction of the annual IN
erest charge on the public debt in July and August,
,sss. was only 1901 3o1 TO- while the reduction OF
the annual interest charge In the months THIS
GEAR was sS75, 6s5, being little more than three
Zines as great reduction as that OF last year. In
fact the reduction of annual interest the public
aebt IN the last two months has been equaled by
only few periods IN the oountry's history, notably
IN President Garelds Administration, in the first six
months of which the annual interest charge was re-
luecd s15347,s72.
The erroneous newspaper conclusion, above re-
lerred TO- arose doubtless from the peculiar form OF
tho monthly statement OF the public debt issued by
his Department In which the amount OF the debt
s given "less cash in the Treasury" BY this form,
any increase of the cash in the Treasury shows an
for purpose other than the purchase OF bonds at
par value, show apparent increase of the public
debt, equal 10 the amount of such disbursements.
For instance If the public debt were stated to day
$500 900 OoO less cash in the Treasury and to-
morrow 100000 should be paid out on warrants
irawn by the other Departments, the amount OF the
public debt less cash in the Treasury would be
stated tomorrow assuming receipts at Ss10,ooO,-
oOO Notwithstanding the fact that the entire %lO,-
300 900 drawn out may still be in hands Of tho
bonded disbursing officers of the other Departments,
and to all intents and purposes much the money
Of the Government If 1t were In the vaults OF The
Treasury.
The facts during the last two months exactly cor
respond 10 this supposed and though the actual
educton OF the debt $20,910,160, the "debt
tatementY showed apparent increase Of 81 09f O03
rhe increase of disbursements made in July and Au-
gust this year. over July and August, 1855, is &C
.ounted for by the fact that most of the appropriation
Hills were not passed in 1883 until September and Oc-
,ober AMI the money was avaable, except 20 such
limited amounts permitted by the continuance
resolutions OF Congress- while In 1859. che appr0-
priatons for the entire year available on July
j. Nearly all of the Departments drew In July ana
August and placed in the hands of their bonded dis
bursting officers sums for future use largely IN eX
cess OF the expenditures for those months; one OF
them will have balances on hand from such drafts OF
100000 after the september payments shah nave
been made. =,
The largely increased purchases of bonds for the
sinking fund in the last TWO months over me cor
responding months of last year show an increase IN
figure in the last debt statement as an increase IN
the public debt, while IN reality they have nothing 20
10 with IL. ! can readily how an honest msap-
prehcnsion may arise from the form OF the m9nthy
statement and therefore have taken the a GGsoe TO
the public debt are quite common for instance, ~
March, 1898, the apparent increase was Ssg,soo IN
1857 ~ 400, 900; in November, 1883, S11,l99,ol''
and in February, 1889, S6,d43,344