Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-04-07
COUNTED BY MILLIONS.
EXPENSES OF CARRYING ON
THE GOVERNMENT.
Ono Hundred Mliion Dollars VIII Bs
Paid Yearly to tho New Democratic
Onicers - Comparative Statement of
wealth In the United States.


Washington correspondence:
After all 1t is not so remarkable that
there is something OF demand for the
Offices. The salaries paid to Govern.
ment employees amount In round num-
bers to 500. 900 a year, and In the
four years term which is ahead Of the
Democracy, viii foot up the handsome
total Of $400, ,0tO 900, or thereAbouts.
Possibly the figure may not reach quite
this amount at the present, but the
chances are that It will ovorrun II be-
fore the four years term ends. for with
the growth OF the country there is no
getting away from the growth in the
number OF Offices and the amount that
must be paid In salaries. The talk OF q
reduction In offices and the salaries
of ..sa.ose who occupy them ts moon
shine" 1t can not be done without
neglecting the business Of the Govern
ment, and az there are sc, ,00n.0 900 people
to pay for having 1t done, and well done,
there is no occasion for a niggardiy
economy which would prove disastrous
in business way. Probably few OF the
people who are scrambling for places
realize that the total amount OF sala.
rics paid to Government employees toots
up 30 large sum as hundred million
dollars year. Yet thisis only dollar
and half apiece all around, now that
our population is $4,000 .0e0 people. And
this only makes the average salary OF
the 200, 600 people who hold Office under
the Government about five hundred dol-
lars per annum each.
Something Of the details Of where
this money goee may be OF interest.
The diplomatic service Ia not 80 expens.
- L. "A
probable. The salary OF Ministers
amounts to only S340,G00 per annum;
Secretaries OF Leg alton $40 900 per an
mum, and Corsuls $5f0, 1000, while there
is also an additional allowance OF about
500, 900 for clerks and consnlates. The
salaries in the Offices OF the Secretary
Of the Treasury amount to about half
million dollars year, but this does not
include the various divisions in which
the salaries run from few thousand up
to more than half million dollars per
annum. The salaries for the Office OF
Secretary Of War amount to over one
hundred thousand dollars, and those OF
the Record and Pension div ,sions OF the
War Department foot up over one
million dollars per aInun. The pay OF
the offlc re- OF the line in the army is
S., SOC, 900, and there is added to that
500. 900 for pay Of officers for length Of
service. The pay Of the enlisted men
Of the army IL So 1Da, ,GG0 olio 10 ON the
retired list. II, l,l2a,0 0. The pay table
OF the navy is atout hall rs much as
that OF the War Department, hnd the
total salaries Of the Tree sury Depart-
ment, inciu ling over two millions In the
Internal Revenue Service alone. ia
about twelve millions Of dollars. The
Interior Department spends about live
million dolia s year for salarics, the
Agricultural Department little over q
million, aud the Department OF Justice
about the same.
The PostoTce Department. however,
is the one which piles up the total OF
salaries. Even In the Postottice Dee
partment in Washing on the salaries
amount to nearly million dollars q
year. and when you branch out into the
postal service oil over the ountry it be-
comes appalling. The appropriations
for the fiscal year 4ust about TO end
allotted SIS, ,250.u o for postmasters and
Sl0, 764 ,0G0 for the free delivery service.
There should be added to this So, Coz. .0a0
for carrying the mails by star routes,
most OF which is for salaries; mail-mes-
senger service over million dollars,
and railway rostoifi'e clerks $6,63l GOO.
Even Congress is q somewhat expensive
luxury. The pay OF Senators amounts
to about half a million dollars year
and that OF Representatives about s2,-
600, 900 year, TO say nothing Of the
smounts paid for the employees, clerks,
stenographers. and messengers who as
sist them in their duties.
Nothing better and mere happily illus
trates the growth OF this country and
prosperity OF the people than compar-
lson OF the conditions at this time with
those which existed when Mr.. Cleye.
land came into Office eight years ago.
That the country has hc, n prosperous
under the two administrations which
are represented IN those eight years ID
evident. Then there were 1850 banks,
now there are l0,OC0. Their capital
stock then was ST. 0,0D0.0 900, now 1t is
over billion. The people then had
10,700. .O00,00o laid away in the banks
sfor Z rainy day" now they have
81, TOO, ,00N. 900 SO depositcl In the banks.
Our national wealth. which then was
t46, ,OOO, ,OaO. 900, is now $59,0eO. .OoO, o. O.
The average per capita OF wealth In the
United States. including property AMI
money, then was $50 for zach individ-
ual, while to-day 1t Ia in round numbers
n On0