The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-03-09
No ANXIETY At THE TREASURY
Assistant Secretary Curtis Contra
diets Damaging Statements.
THE WRITER'S ARE ALARMISTS
The Actual Treasury Gold Withdrawals
Since March lst Have Been Only
S355,34 Plenty of Money
to Pay Appropriations.
Makes an Explanation.
BY Southern Associated Press.


Secretary Curtis to day made the fol-
lowing statement: "ln view of Ger.
tain statements in the newspapers that
treasury officials are embarrassed by
an alleged failure i'll gold deliveries
under the recent contract and other
assertions OF O similar nature, calcu.
lated to mislead ana disturb the public
mind, L wish to soy that the actual
Withdrawals of gold from the Treasury
since the lst OF March, 1895, have been
S3j5,3i7, of which S26I. .OS7 have been
for the redemption of United States
Treasury notes and S74. .260 for the re
tIrement Of United States notes.
Moreover, during the same period tho
Treasury bus received considerable
gold i'll exchange for various kinds of
paper currency.
The apparent falling off in the gold
reserve was caused by misunderstood.
ing III taking up i'll the gold reserve
statement of the Treasury department
from the daily reports of transactions
sent from the sub-Ireasury ut New
York. lurge amount of gold which
should have been deposited for exami-
nation and count nnd should not have
been counted IN the reserve until the
hnnl certificates upon which bonds
could be issued could be delivered.
The February figures quoted in the
articles rs withdrawn include the heavy
Withdrawals of the earlier part of that
month before the gold purchase con
tract was made. and one single large
Item not withdrawn for export, con
cernlng which there has been consid.
erab!e newspaper comment.
The writer's of the articles evidently
.l a
the method OF doing business therein.
The Treasury officials who are charged
with the responsibility OF those trans
actions have no anxiety whatever in
regard to the method which is, and has
been, pursued by the sellers of the gold
coin under the recent contract.
In regard 10 the excess of govern.
ment expenditures over receipts it is
well known that the latter are rapidly
increasing, and that up to this time
nothing has been received from the in.
come tax, and very little from sugar.
both Of which Will be important ele.
mcnts OF government receipts in the
near future.
lhero is plenty of money in the
Treasury to pay the appropriations,
Gnd the statements in some articles
that ri the Treasury had the money
the passage of tho appropriation bills
would lead TO the Immediate dsburse
ment OF immense sums OF money" are
totally untrue. There is question of
law as to when the appropriation for
the payment of the sugar bounty be.
comes available, and until that ques-
ton Is settled it will be Impossible to
make any payments hereunder. More.
over, all the claims for bounty must be
adjusted before payment, since pay
ment must De pro rata if the appropri-
alton should be insufficient.
The Treasury officials have no
anxiety rs TO their ability to meet oil
obligations Ill the immediate future
with ease and are confident that the
expected revival of business will as
sure the future. The prosperity of the
country will he greatly hastened when
some effective method is found of
checking these alsrmist articles written
by newspaper correspondents aud news
gntherers, who are willing to sacrifice
the truth and their own consciencss
If they have any-to create a Cheap
sensation aud play upon the feelings oil
an already overwrought public.