The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-02-25
SECRETARY fesrsa,s REPORT.
A fafciied-Up Anafr THat Renects bis
credit On me Sdmfrisfrnsio1.

A fatciied-Up Anifr That Rejects bis
credit OF the xdministfasipi'
The annuaf report Of the secretary
Of the treasury IS little more than 4
piece Of patchwork made up from bu-
reau reports The secretary makes no
serious attempt to discuss the ques-
tons Of absorbing public interest with
which an American finance minister
might be expected to deal at this time
the silver question, the, Question OF
national bank circulation and the
tariff question. lie has nothing what
ever to offer ON the silver question; in
regard to national bank circulation he
merely repeats and approves of the
suggestions made by the comptroller
of the currency, and What he has to
say about the tariff is disgrace to
the official literature of the country
and an insult to the intelligence OF the
people. Altogether, it is the least
creditablc document that has cmanat-
ed from the treasury department With:
In the reeoffection of men of thres.
score years.
in the formal statements and estls
mates with which the report opens
there are. variations from the usual
form partly for the better and partly
for the worse. A variation for the bet
ter consists in tho introduction of a
tabular exhibit of the increase and de-
crease in expenditures in the different
branches of the public service for the
last fiscal year as compared with the
year before, going into details with
sufficient minuteness to convey good
deal of information. Another varia-
ton for the better consists in the intro
duction of detailed statement of the
manner in which Sf34, 94T, 635 was APP
piled during the year to the reduction
of the public debt On the other hand,
variation for the worse consists in
the omission of the usual statement of
receipts and expenditures for the first
quarter of the current year, with esti-
mates for the remaining three-quar-
ters. Instead Of this we have an esti-
mate, with very little detail, for the
whole OF the current year, followed by
more detailed estimate of expendi-
lures for next year.
The secretary figures out a surplus of
S2I, 600, 900 for the current year, taking
no account of the sinking fund, and for
next year, again taking no account of
the sinking fund, he estimates SUR
plus of STA, 036,25 There is no sep
aratc estimate of the sums which will
be required for the payment of sugar
bounties and ship subsidies-items of
considerable public interest just at
this time. In order to make out his
surplus the secretary estimates the
customs revenue for this year at $751;
o00, 600, although the actual receipts
for the first five months have been at
the rate of only about Sl70,O00, 900 for
the year. If that should prove to be
the correct figure, MIR Fosters surplus
would be cut down to $4,000 900, as
suming that his estimate is correct in
other respects. His estimate of Gus
toms revenue for next year is S195, 00O,
900, which must be at least SIS 600, 600
too high, judging from actual receipts
under the new tariff with this cor
>rection his entire estimated surplus,
and million more with it, for 1898
vanishes. Chicago Herald.