The Portland daily press., 1894-04-17
GovERNM MT REVENUES.
Conscience Money, Requests and Post


Conscience Money, Requests and Post
Office Keys.
Uncle Sam has some odd sources of
revenue which rarely, if ever, attract
the attention of his more or less dutiful
nephews and nieces. A careful record
is Kept of them, however, by the excell-
ent corps of accountants in the office of
the Register of the Treasury, and event
uallS the items, small and large, appear
duly set forth in the voluminous annual
report on the finances of the govern
ment issued by the Secretary of the
T treasury.
Few persons would feel inclined to
look to government report of some
fifteen hundred pages for interesting
reading. The mere suggestion of it
conjures up terrors-thoughts of innu-
merable columns of figures, pages of
Properly considered, however, the con-
tents of the huge volume are anything
but prosaic. The work devoted to it is
vast, and from it one can trace the re-
suits of every finanial operation of the
government during the fiscal year. One
end of the thread of every transaction
leads to the Treasury Department. no
matter where the other originates; and
these other ends may be found at the
uttermost ends of the earth, in the
drawings of drafts bya navy paymsters to
pay for fresh water in the Friendly Is
lands, in the payment of the stipend
to the scrub woman who cleans the -four
of the New York Custom House.
From Miscellaneous Sources.
Probably as interesting a feature,
however, as any in the report is tie
record of government receipts from mis-
cellaneous sources. These are of great
variety and run all the way from be-
quests of patriotic citizens who leave
money to be devoted to the payment of
the national debt, to the payments of
private soldiers on account OF handbooks
lost or stolen. G
The total receipts from miscellaneous
sources, according TO the recently issued
report of the Secretary OF the Treasury
for 1898. were s., 651, 328 80. Three large
items alone appear. These are fees on
letters patent, 81, 295. 3d.. So; tax on cir
culation OF national banks, 81, 1892, 623. 63;
and the sale of the old Custom House
site at Pitsburg, Pa, S433, 500; makingssa
total of So, 121, All and leaving a bal
ance of $500, 881. "a, which is accounted
for by forty-five separate and distinct
entries. 1t is among these minor items
that the interest in the miscellaneous
The conscience fund, for example, is
a source which always attracts atten-
ton. During the fiscal year of 1888 the
government received from persons feel
ing the prick of conscience ST., 1888 76
The annual receipts from this source are
never very large, which facts affords a
sad commentary upon the honesty of
people, for the government is swindled
right and left by travellers returning
from abroad.
Assessments upon owners of vessels for
deaths on shipboard enriched the gov
ernment during the same period $50.
This is equivalent to a statement that
ninety-seven persons died Of natural
causes on American ships during the
year. Al first thought it seems peculiar
that Uncle Sam should demand $40
apiece for every citizen who dies at sea,
but the provision is a wise one, as it has
induced emigrant ships to secure the
services of better doctors than formerly,
and owners and sailing masters to pro-
vide adequ ate medicine chests for long
voyages.
Only Dollar Rent.
The smallest amount of revenue re-
ceived from any miscellaneous source by
the government during 1888 was 81.
This finds due entry with the other
items and was derived from the rent of
property acquired under the internal
revenue laws in some place not men
toned. The next lowest amount is
81. Oh, and is set down as "inte rest on
| S33. 90, part of United States Pacifi C
bonds held in Indian Trust Fund"
From work done for private individuals
| in public shops the Republic was further
enri ched by 81. so, while through upex
/ planned balances in disbursing ACCOUNTS
| it profited to the extent of S5.2-
From private soldiers of the United
States VINO lost their haudbooks and
were compelled to make the loss good
| the government derived $4.70 while
| through forfeiture in consequence of
| lost post office letter box keys $63. so
was added to the revenue. This last
source of revenue is explained as fol-
lows: "If one hires letter box he is
| compelled to deposit dollar for his
key. If this is not returned when the
box is given up the amount is forfeited
TO the government"
In the miscellaneous source schedule
the country figures as creditor of one
collapsed banks, the Exchange National
of Norfolk, Va, on account OF pubic
money deposited for the National Home
for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. A divi-
dend was paid last year, and from this
source the government derived $500. Sc.
The receipts from the Yellowstone
Natioarl Park increased the revenue by
81, 34S A sale of buildings on the aban-
doned military reservation at Fort
Bridger, Wyoming, brought In SIX, ana
a similar sale at Fort Steele, also ahan
doned $127. 1O.-(New York Herald
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