The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-04-18

WHAT III COSTS UNCLE SAM TO PAY
OFF HIS HELP.
One Hundred Million Dollars = Year In
ssIaries-statement Of Wealth In the
United States ss Banks show It

according to the Chicago Journal,
the total amount of salaries paid to
government employees foots up hun
dred million dollars year. Yet this is
only dollar and a half apiece all
around, now that our population is Co.,
900, 900 people. And this only makes
The average salary of the 200, 900 people
who hold Office under the government
about $500 per annum each
Something of the details of where
this money goes may be of interest.
The diplomatic service is not so expen-
sive q luxury as would be supposed
probable. The salary of ministers
amounts TO only $4,000 per annum;
secretaries of legation $4,000 per an
mum, and consuls $500, 900, while there
Is also an additional allowance of about
100000 for clerks and consulates. 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 a half million dollars
per annum. The salaries for the Office
of the secretary of war amount to over
100000 and those of the record and
pension divisions of the war depart
ment foot up over 81, ZOO, 900 per an
mum. The pay of the officers of the
line in the army Is 81, SOC, 900, and there
is added to that $s90,000 for pay of off,
GERS for length of service. The pay of
the enlisted men of the army is 81, 1o0.-
600, officers on the retired list, 1,122,-
600. The pay table of the navy is about
half IS much as that of the war depart
ment, and the total salaries of the treas
ury department, including over two mil
lions in the internal revenue service
alone, is about twelve millions of dol
lars. The, interior department spends
about s., 900, COO a year for salaries, the
agricultural department little over
a million, and the department Of justice
about the same.
The post Office department., however,
is the one which piles up the total of
salaries. Even in the post Office de-
partment In Washington the salaries
amount to nearly million dollars
year, and when you branch out into
the postal service all over the country
it becomes appalling. The appropria-
tions for the fiscal year just about to
end allotted sl5,250,00 for compensa-
ton to postmasters and $40, 764,000 for
the frce-delivery service. There should
be added to this s., ,0o0, 900 for carrying
the mails by star routes, most of which
is for salaries; mail-messenger service
over million dollars, and railway post
Office clerks, s6,6s1.000 Even congress
is somewhat expensive luxury. The
pay OF senators amounts TO abo1t
half million dollars a year and that of
representatives about 80, ,0O0, 900 n year,
to say nothing of the amounts paid for
the employees, clerks, stenographers and
messengers who assist them in their
duties.
Nothing better and more happily H.
lustrates the growth of this coun-
try and prosperity of the peo-
pie than comparison of the conditions
at this time with those which existed
eight years ago. That the coun-
try has been prosperous in those eight
years is evident. Then there were
1850 banks, now there are 10000
Their capital stock then was $3.50, ,0O0.-
300. now it is over billion. The people
then had s2, zoo, 900, 900 laid away in the
banks ''for rainy day." now they have
~, 7o0, 100000 so deposited in the banks.
Our national wealth, which then was
s4s. .0o0. 100000, Is now 100000, ,000, 900.
The average per capita of wealth in the
United States, including property and
money, then was $3.50 for each individ-
lal, while to-day ii is in round numbers
81 200.