The National tribune., 1896-10-29

8. s. L., Custer, Mich.-In q speech recently
made by pOpocratic candidate for Congress it
was asserted that more than 100 600 600 more
money for pensions had been paid out by the
present Cleveland Administration than by the
Harrison Administration, and that he could
prove it by the official reports of the Pension
Bureau. Is this true, and can you furnish me
the reports? AnsUer. We cannot furnish the
reports, as we have no duplicates; but the state
ment of the Popocratic candidate quoted by
you is not true. Tie speaker referred to is
presumed to know that all Government
counts arc kept by fiscal years j. e., years
ending June 30 of each year; and that. there
fore, Gen. Harrison's Administration is fairly
represented by the four fiscal years of 1890
(Which began June 80. 1882, few months after
his inauguration). 1891, 1892, and 1893, the
latter closing June 80, 1893. few months after
President Cleveland's Inauguration. On page
40 OF the Report of the Commissioner Of PEN
sions for the year ending 1894, will be found
this statement:
Total pension disbursements for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1880.
were. SlU6 4y3.SyO IL
Total pension disbursements for the
fiscal year ending June 10. 1891,
1lS538,959 IL
Total pension disbursements for the
fiscal year ending June 30 1892,
were.............. .............-.. Al,0se s4s "a
Total pension disbursements for the
fiscal year ending June 80. 1893,
WERE. loS l5o,31Z 81
Total for Harrsons Administration. 1921 2 I4I 25
On same page of same report pension dis
bursements for fiscal year ending June 80 1894
are stated to have been $l40,772. 1878. On
page 39 of the mssioner's Report for 1895
it is stated that the total pension disbursements
for fiscal year ending June 80, 1895, were $780,
s92 S34O8. On page 30 of the Commissioners
Report for 1896 il is stated that the total pen
sion disbursements for fiscal year ending June
30 1885, were $139 Jog, 09l.93. For the three
wears OF President Cleveland's present Admin
istration the pension disbursements aggregate
$500 III ,0S977, or more than 500. 900, 600 less
than was disbnrsed during the four years end
ing June 30. 1893. 1t is needless to remind our
correspondent that it was Republican legisla.
ton Act of June q. 1890 and Republican al
lowances (Gei. Raum issued 81 $50 pension
certificates during the single year 1S!l2-page
8, Report Of the Commissioner for 1922 that
made it possible for the present Administra-
sion TO make its large disbursements for pen
sions.
j. H. d., Luke City, M.-It is said that the
Secretary of the Treasury, in his Circular 1919,
Of July 1, 1896, makes the statement that in
1894 (the last year of the Mckinley tariff
there was deficit of S69, 800, 260.5 Why is
this and what was the reason that the McKin-
ley bill failed to provide enough revenue to
meet the expenses? As,s,oer. No such state
Department. 1t is. however, true that for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1894, there was an
excess of expenditures over revenues of the
sum that you state The facts are as follow !:
The Mckinley bill became q law Oct. !, 1890.
and ceased to be operative Aug. %, 1894 when
the Wilson act (present tariff law went into
effect.
For the fiscal year ending June 80.
1891 Chat Is, from June 80. $780, To-
June 80. 1871, the total revenue Of
the Government was. $780, 6l2, AT 81
For the same period tile total expen-
ditures 800 ia, 700 30
Total revenue for the fiscal year end
ing June 80 1892. 354 937. 784 "a
Total ex expenditures for the fiscal year
ending June 80 1892. 345 023 800 So
Total revenue for the fiscal year end
ing June 80 1893 1885, 8l9 628 70
Total expenditures for the fiscal year
ending June 80. 1893. 1888 Az 954 40
Total revenue for tile fiscal year end
ing June go 1894. 297 722, 0l9 IS
Total expenditures for the fiscal year
ending June 80 1894 ........... 1857 525. 279 SO
One month and 90 days after the close of this
last fiscal year tho Wilson bill came into oper-
alton. From the date (Oct. l. 1890) that the
Mckinley act became effective to Nov. /, 1892,
when Democratic President was elected and
Democratic House assured, the revenues of
the Government were SIS, PASCAL in excess Of
the expenditures, or all average monthly sur
plus of $1,l29,s2l. That the Mckinley act
should have been followed by deficit of the
amount stated by you (sG9, 49,. 2605s) for the
year 1894 is not surprising, as early in Deem
her, 1893, there was introduced into the House
of Representatives the Wilson bill, which,
owing to the pledges of the Democratic party
to reduce duties. was assured Of passage, and
naturally importers waited for its enactment
in order to get the benefit Of its reduced sched-
| ules besides, great business depression then
existed. In fact. from November, 1892, it was
clear that new tariff legislation. with reduced
duties was certain, and from that date on the
receipts under the Mckinley act began to fall
off, For the fiscal year ending June 80, 1891,
the surplus under it was 500 838, 54I.96 For
the fiscal year ending juno 30, 1892, the sur.
plus under it was 1894 453.66. For tho fiscal
| year ending June 80, 1893, the surplus under
| it was 50. 341. 67429. For the year ending June
30, 1895, the deficit under the Wilson act was
| $40, 805, 22318 and since then It has averaged
something over ", O00, 900 month.
| o. p. d.. Little Gemeseo, N. y, and Others
who have failed to sign full and correct name
to their letters are again advised that unsigned
communications, or those signed BY merely
| initials, will not be answered By %.