The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1892-01-22
THE TREASURY REPORT.
A Patched-Up Afair That Reflects Dis
credit on the Administration.

Patched-Up Anatr That Reflects Dis
credit on the Administration.
The annual report of the secretary
of the treasury Is little more than IL
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. He 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 Il 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 recollection of men of three
score years.
In the formal statements and esti-
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 the 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 mnuteness 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 Sl34, 947, 635 was APP
piled during the year to the reduction
of the public debt On the other hand,
a 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-
tiers. Instead of this we have an esti-
mate, with very little detail for the
whole of the current year, followed by
a more detailed estimate of eXpendi-
lures for next year.
The secretary figures out a surplus of
S24, 000 900 for the current year, taking
no account Oh Jne SINKING IuDu, anu IOf
next year, again taking no account of
the sinking fund, he estimates a sur
plus of S14, 036, PSI. There is no sep
arate estimate of the sums which will
be required for the payment of sugar
bounties and ship subsidles-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;
600, 600, although the actual receipts
for the first five months have been at
the rate of only about S170, 900, 900 for
the year. If that should prove to be
the correct figure, Mr.. Fosters surplus
would be cut down to 100000 as
Stunning that his estimate is correct in
other respects His estimate of GUS
toms revenue for next year is Sl95, 600,
600, which must be at least SO, 900, 900
too high, Judging from actual receipts
under the new tariff. With this COR
rection his entire estimated surplus,
and million more with il, for 1898
vanishes. Chicago Herald.