The morning call., 1894-06-06
THE COST OF GOVERNMENT.

The latest bulletin of the Census Bureau,
giving the receipts and expenditures of the
national, State and local governments,
covers the operations Of the census year
1890. The figures have changed since then I;
the General Government, it is sad to state,
has this year no such surplus as S110,000,-
Geo. nor any sum approaching that figure.
Bearing this in mind, we find that In
1890 the people of the United States con-
tributed for the support of their Federal,
State, Territorial, county and municipal
governments the sum of S1,O40, 1880 OF
which 1915. 954 OBS was actually expended.
leaving surplus of S124. SIS, 95S. which was
carried forward to the credit of the various
accounts. About S109,000,0O0 of this sur
plus belonged to the General Government.
Thus the people paid per capita nearly SID
per head for the managementof their pub
lie affairs. Exclusive of postal expendi-
lures the cost was Sl3 65 per head.
The most productive article taxed is real
and personal property. which is the main
support of State. county and municipal
governments. The total cost of these gov
ernments, exclusive of schools, was in
round figures S424. 000 600, and the product
of the property taxes was S443, OOO OOO.
Next to this source of revenue came GUS
toms duties and internal revenue taxes,
which together produced in round figures
in 1890 1892, 100000. The whole of this
went for the support of the General Gov
eminent and pensions. The other sources
of revenue produced psratively small
amounts.
1t is interesting to compare our expeDdi-
lures with those of other countries. In
the last English budget the preparation
for the army was S89.O00OO0; in the year
1898 the French expenditure for military
purposes was S129, 100000; our allowance
for military purposes in 1890 was $50, 537, :
coo. For naval purposes exclusive of new
cons truction our expenditure was 5,174.-
600, that of France S45, 100000. and that
of Great Britain S71.OO0.OO0. Our chief
expenditures in 1890 we're S145,0O000O
for schools and educational purposes
generally, and SAG. 10000 for pensions
and charities. 1t appears that our chief
extravaganza is for instruction while
the chief extravaganza of our Euro
pean friends is for destruction. We
have to pay one year with another about
So, 900, 900 for interest on national. State
and municipal debts; that is rather less
than the colonies of Australasia with 4. 000,-
900 population are expected to pay aud
do pay when they can on their public debts
and bank deposits. Our Congress, Stale
Legislatures and municipal legislative
bodies are run for about ten and half
millions and our executive governments
for SIC, COO These sums are a mere
drop in the bucket in comparison with the
direct and indirect cost of executive and
legislative government in Great Britain.
though members of Parliament do serve
without pay.
The people of California are set down in
these tables as paying annually S23, 679. 63S.
which includes customs duties and inter
nal revenue, as well as State. county and
municipal taxes. One of the largest items
OF expenditure which are betrayed out OF
this sum is for roads, sewers, bitches and
bridges-S4. 6680 600; it includes the sums
which citizens of San Francisco have TO
pay for street Improvement. But this
outlay is less than that which is Incurred
for the support of schools and colleges
s., 1893, 1856; this money is we'll spent. Fol
charities the State spends 81, 223, 533. and
for salaries of State officers S2.170, $40
Penal and reformatory institutions cost
US S712.572. Altogether CalifOrnians pay
more than any other Americans for the
luxury of Government; their taxation
seams to amount to SIS head.