The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-11-14
UNCLE SANS MONEY.
ROBERT GRAVES TELLS US HOW
HE SPENDS 1T.
Here Il That Unusual Thing, a Letter
Full of Figures That Are Intensely In
terestine-vast Sums Required TO Do
the Nations Work.
Especial Correspondenco.I


the Nations Work.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5.-Probably you reaG
in the newspapers few days ago that les
than 81, 000. 0OO currency was in the treasur,
vaults here available for business, and tha
for two or three weeks the officials of th.
treasury department have been compelled
to hustle" for funds with which TO mee
the requirements of the government A:
a matter of fact, Uncle Sam was not quite
SO hard Up for ready cash as this state
ment would imply, for in addition to the
million dollars on hand here he had or
the day mentioned ten or twelve millions
in currency or deposit in the New York
and other subtreasIries. But twelve or
thirteen millions is narrow margin for
Uncle Sam &c go on. A lady whom
know read in the newspapers that our
uncle was hard up; and then she turned
TO the first paragraph in her favorite Wash
ington newspaper, which always reads:
Government receipts today. customs, S4sl,-
! 6J00l: internal revenue. S461 .312.38.
''See what a lot of money the govern
ment takes in every day." she exclaimed.
What in the world does it do with it all?"
This was a very interesting question,
and | tried TO answer it,
! No one can as yet say just how much
money the government will exrend during
this current year, but the amount will not
vary much from five hundred millions of
! dollars. This of course will include all
sorts of expenditure, interest on the ma
! tional debt, sinking fund and the opera
tions of the pOstoffice department, which
is practically self sustaining.
The governments greatest expense item
is the pension roll. During the year end
ing June 30 next, the pension appropria-
ton is $133, Ia, os5 This is the sum set
apart for pensions. A little more than
10000 coo is appropriated for the expenses
Of the pension Office, the fees of examining
surgeons, etc., so that the total reads
Pensions. Sl35, 214,7S5
Second in Importance, in the amount CT
money involved, come what are known as
the permanent annual appropriations. The
sinking fund takes about $50, 900, 600; inter
est on the public debt about $25, 600, 900;
collecting the revenue from customs
ST, 100000; arms, stores and camp equipage
for the militia, 800. 900; marine hospitals,
$500, 0O0 interest ON Pacific railway stock,
So, 81, 900 Union Pacific sinking fund,
$3.50. 000 Central Pacific sinking fund,
$50, 0eO; repayment of excess TO importers,
S4,0O0.0O0; mail transportation on Pacific
roads, 81 POO, 900, and enough other items
to make total Of
Permanent annual appropriations. .Sl222, sos
The third largest item is for the post
office department. 1t is interesting to note
how the money is distributed. In a year
the railroads of the United States are paid
So, 100000 for carrying the mails. The g.
0O0 postmasters III the Union draw S14-
100000 n wear Ills is a great sum of
money. but the average salary is only S237
for twelve months The free delivery serv-
ice in cities and towns costs little more
than $10000.000 a year. Clerks in post
offices are paid Ss.000,0O0. The skillful,
hard worked men who ride in the postal
cars and distribute mail en- route get
81, 100000 a year, and should have more.
Carrying the mails by what is known as
"Star routes'-by horse, wagon, stage,
man, boy or wOman-nearly S6,000,000 |
Purchase and maintenance of railway pos
tai cars, 50 100000. Rent, light, fuel for
postoffices, Sl,300.0G0. Transportation of
foreign mails, 81, $780, COO Mail messengers,
or carrying mails to and from railway sta
tons and postoffices, 81 100000 Manufac- !
ture of stamped envelopes, newspaper |
wrappers. etc. almost S1,000,000 Carry
ing mails on steamboats,, $525, 900. Wrap |
ping Irvine, SS5,000 wrapping paper, &c.,
900; mail bags, $500. 600: manufacture of
postage stamps, $500, 600; manufacture of
postal cards. S2l4 600. and other items swell
the total for the
Postofice department. 81. 9O7, 222
Fourth in amount of money disbursed
Is the deficiency hist. It happens. of course,
in the operations of the government that
many expenses cannot he foreseen, even
by all the wise men of the government and
congress, and when the accounts are made
up at the end OF fiscal year an appropria-
ion must be made to meet great number
Of obligations. This year, for instance, !
5he deficiency list embraces thousand
separate items, from $29, 0O0, 900 for pen
'ious all the way down the gamut of fig
Tres to ~ B. Bryan & Bro, for SOAP. SO
,ents," and r G. Wheeler, for hinges, 10
,ents." Under this head comes payment
If claims to the amount of about s., 0O0, OOO
md ranging from 81, 300, 600 on the famous
French spoliation claims TO somebody or
'ther 'for transportation of Indian sup
lAACos CSNCnOS- n InilitOu uOildTS goes IOT
ARRIVING on the work of equipping men-of-
var vessels, and half million dollars for
printing, giving grand total Of
deficiency. $33699. 746
What Uncle Sam terms his ''sundry
ivil' appropriations next attract our at
ention. Here we discover that the gov
rnment is in the building business on
large scale, for money is set apart for the
rection of more than a hundred court
ouses, postoffices, etc, ranging in cost
rom 5000 to So, 900, the whole sum thus :
appropriated being
'uollc eulidlngs............. $S,S15,212
More than half q million dollars is de-
oted TO the erection of new lighthouses; '
BIS, goo for supplies for lighthouses, $S45,- {
90 for repairs, S645, 900 for salaries of keep
RS, $3.50 900 for light vessels, 1885,, 600 for the
uoys and $2s3coo for lights on rivers, in
II, for
6, 37aO 600
1t is a pity that the 252 brave men who
eep Uncle Sans 252 life saving stations q
hould receive only Sl6e, 900 year salary, /
ut that is all they get. Their assistants, 1
be surfmen, are paid $500, 600, and the
otal is S
life saving 81 064S15 L
The revenue cutter service, largely de- Q
oted to customs police work in New c
'ork harbor and protection OF govern v
lent's interest in the sealing waters of r
.laska, costs q million dollars a year
he bureau of engraving and printing, |
here Uncle Sam prints the crisp. de ;
ghtful bills which he hands out more or
IS freely, costs him 81, 100000 a year. For {
urveys Of his coasts, soundings, measure {
lent Of the tides, etc, he pays ont each
ear through the coast and geodetic sur !
ey rnnre than hsIf a r,,illin., Ill. L.. .