New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-08
TIE DEBT STATEMENT FALSELY GEN



cism The public sense of Justice ought to re-
sent and stamp upon all criticism that is es-
sentially unjust. The assertions by "The New
York Times, that the debt and other financial
statements now made by the Treasury Depart
ment each month hide the truth, and are aooPV-
ed because there is discreditable truth 20 NUE.
are shamefuly untrue, and to the AdminiSHa-
ton 50 unjust that they merit the stroheesO
public censnre. The official reports now mace
give 10 the public every item of information
of any value whatever that was obtainaole In
the forms of statement previously Eade
The statements as to the interest-be bearing
debit are exactly what they used to be, except
that one useful comparison Is added, showing
the decrease in each kind of bonds since .no
beginning of the present Administration Inc
statement of debt on which interest mas ceaSeu
which used to occupy thirty separate items 10
condensed into one, giving the aggregate oI
such debts, which is only $1,616,320, ana no
real business man or banker, it is safe to say
has ever missed the details or regretted their
omission. The statement of debt bearing no
interest and Of certificates and notes outstand-
inc is exaotly what it used to be, line for line
and also the first part of the old recapituia-
standing debt. and the increase or decrease LOT
the month But in place OF the OLD statement
of cash in the Treasury, which was bnei' vague
and meaningless, and was supplemented e''n
month by separate statement OF assets anu
liabilities showing the different xmas OF caSh
hold ALI essential points of this separate state
ment are now embodied in the debt statement
proper. 50 that not one item OF lntormatioh
formerly given in that statement IS omitted, out
much not then given therein is now empraceu'
Newt this statement of cash gives exactly
the items formerly given In the statement o.
assets. excepting that standard dollars colned
under two distinct acts are no longer separator!
stated but given in one item. The deposits III
hanks for general account and for discussing
officers are separately given, as before. 1here
is not a yestige of information formerly en-
braced in the monthly statement which is not
now embraced in the new statement as 10 ohe
amount and kind of cash held. Finally the
statement Of demand liabilities incndes IN the
debt statement, exactly as it used TO 90 IN the
separate statement the amounts OF goio GER
tifcates, silver certificates, currency certificates
Treasury notes of 1890, bank note redemption
fund outstanding checks and drafts, dlsbursng
officers balances, and the bullion fund or gold
reserve of 800. 00O 600, and the net cash bal
ance in the Treasury. But six minor items
which were formerly given separately are now
included under one head as "agency accounts,
etc" These are POstoffice Department. ac-
counts, undistributed assets Of failed National
| hanks. currency and minor coin redemption ac-
counts fractional silver redemption accounts,
redemption and exchange account, and agency
account for payment of District of Columbia
bonds. As the aggregate of all these is only
"a. coo. 900. and nearly the whole was usually
in the postofiice account alone, no one has yet
been able to suggest a respectable reason for
wishing the separate items retained.
What is there concealed? What possibility
If ooncealmcnt is there? Tie story that any
Ievel-headed banker misses and complains about
the absence OF the old statement of assets and
liabilities must be considered apocryphal, for
no banker or business man of common-sense
would EXPOSE himself to the ridcUle OF the
whole business world by cOnfessing that he
could not find in the new debt statement all
the information of any value whatever which
the two old statements contained. Thus each
month the increase or decrease in amount OF
debt is shown, and also the increase or decrease
in amount of cash held and the banker must
he neither level-headed nor possessed of aver
age common-sense who cannot see at glance
whether the debt less cash has decreased OF
increased. and how much. IF there be one who
cannot. he is entitled to the oommiseiaion OF
the public, and ought to be provided by sym
pathizing relatives with guardian Mean
while. the old statement of each kind of cur
rencv in circulation is still issued, as minute
and complete as it was, and that is of all the
published statements the one which calls fol-
most constant scrutiny.