Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-10-10
RecklessEess Of the Present Con-
gress.

From the Baltimore Sun

nv "ppiopIldtioiis vi SohSiCcS Jul
ing the session now closing aggregate
$46l ,S44 ,779, exclusive of large expen-
ditures authorized but not provided
for. As the receipts of the year
against which this expenditure is
charged are estimated by the secretary
on the basis of existing laws at about
$3.50, Ala 1897, deficit of 1l,430442
must, it appears, ensne. For the first
time since 1866 the expenditure of the
government is in excess of its income.
1t is in fact, a good deal more in ex-
cess OF income than the figures and
large deficiencies will have to be pro.
vided for at the next session of Con-
gress. The DEFICIENCIES on account of
pensions, public printing and the de-
partment of justice, to say nothing of
the public service, will aggregate, il is
thought, at least $46,O66, 1894, which
sum is to be added to the Sill, 43O, 442
already mentioned to obtain the true
proportions of the deficit in the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1891. Should
the proposed tariff bill materially
affect-as seems likely-the revenue
during the remainder of the total of
the deficit would, of course, be CORE
spondingly increased. In subsequent
years, according to Senator Plumb,
there must be on the basis of the leg
islation of the present session, an an
nually recurring deficiency of over
3O.OOO,OOO, so that in the opinion of
the Kansas Senator a new tax should
be imposed on whisky to meet it.
There is now in the treasury So, 0OO,-
GOO, of the bank note redemption
fund, some $4O,OOO.OOO of which I'M
der the silver act, will he available for
current expenses. There is also, still
Oh hand some $4,000 900 which was
deposited with the national banks
during the Cleveland administration,
when there was IL troublesome surplus
The funds will suffice, it is thought, to
meet the needs of the treasury in the
present year. 1t is intended, it ap-
pears, to provide for the deficits OF
1912, 1928 and subsequent
years by suspending payments into
the sinking fund of the national debt,
which fund at present demands about
f59, 100000 year. The accumula-
tions and resources OF the government
in the past years, will be pretty effect
ually wiped out, or mortgaged by the
Fifty-first Congress at its first session.
Comparing the regular appropriations
of this session with those of the first
session of the Fiftieth Congress. we
find substantially identical amounts
for agriculture, the army, diplomacy
the district of Columbia, Notifications,
the Indians, legislative executive and
judicial purposes and the military
academy, but large increases made by
the present Congress for pensions, the
postoffice, the navy, rivers and harbors,
sundry civil expenditures, and defcien-
cies due to wastful administration.
Besides the regular appropriations OF
$9S, 457 All for pensions, q bill was
passed, which Mr.. Plumb says will
take $6O,OOO,OOo year in addition
from tho Treasury for pensions. The
direct tax bill subsidies and the fed
eral election bill, with other legisla-
ton of this kind, perfected or in sus-
pense, will add, if the majority has its
way, very materially to the record of
extravaganza. The amount by which
the regular annual appropriations Of
this year exceed those of the first ses-
sion of the preceding Congress is
$39,21S,429. Our progress in expendi-
ture in the past decade is worth at
tention. The regular annual appro-
priations in 1880, excluding the pro-
visions for the postoffice and the per-
manent appropriations in 1880,
aggregated s157,OOO,OOO, as against
s2SS, 100000 in 1890. To taxpayers,
figures like these cannot but
prove interesting. They mark al
heavy increase of their burdens.