The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-09


discussions of the expenditures of the
| United States government. 1t is SIN
gular fact that this designation in
cludes obligations of the government
which are a preferred claim over eV-
erything else, like the interest on the
public debt, the disbursement of trust
| funds and the expenses of collecting
! the revenue, while, on the other hand,
! it regularly includes at least one very
large item-that Of the sinking fund
which has not been paid for several
years. Thus the permanent ANNALS
range from the obligations first paid
in order of preference to those last
paid" or never paid. The "billion-dol-
| lar congress" notion comes from in
Guiding all of the permanent with
the regular appropriations, and unless
! the "permanents'' are fully paid there
is an element of error in speaking of
our expenditures as $500, 900, 900 year
The sinking fund requirement is at the
bottom of most of the misunderstand-
ings of this kind. The sum appropriate
ed permanently for this purpose now
amounts to $51,000,000 a year. and Of
course is paid only when there is a
surplus. This amount is made up, by
law, Of 1 per cent of the debt out
standing, including the non-interest-
bearing or greenback issue, and one
years interest on the bonds that have
already been redeemed for this fund.
One per cent of the public debt is now
about $10,000,000, while the annual in
terest charge on the bonds redeemed
under the operation of the law amounts
to $41, 100000. AS the 1 per cent of the
debt goes down, the interest item in
this calculation goes up>-the intention
of the trainers of the law evidently be-
ing to provide that. the smaller the
debt became the faster 1t should be
paid. The permanent annual appropri-
ations also contain a $10,00O,0 900 item
known as the national bank redemption
fund, which IS not legitimate expendi-
ture of the government, but merely a
method of bookkeeping.
There is some doubt as to whether
the system of permanent annual ap-
preparations is wise. Many -financiers
believe that congress should each year
go over the entire appropriations, and
certainly, if this was done, the subject
would be somewhat simplified for the
ordinary student Of government af-
fairs. AS 1t is now, to get at the run
ming expenses of the government, the
regular appropriations must be added
to the permanent annual, and from
their sum must be subtracted those
charges which the government does not
pay except when there is a surplus
revenue.
Three permanent annual appropria-
tions are designated as specific" and
the rest as 'indefinite." The former
are % for the Smithsonian institution
Interest derived from bequest of
James Smithson and others); (2) for
the expenses of collecting the revenue
from customs, and 60 for arms. ord
nance stores, ETC., for issue to the mi
litia These will amount for this fiscal
year to $5,954, 72O.
The indefinite part Of the permanent
annual appropriations include:
Allowance to consular officers. who are maid
! in whole or in part by fees for services neces-
| saflly rendered to American vessels and sea-
men; as provided by act of June 26, 1884.
oalarles FOR consular and diplomatic Off
GERS for periods occupied necessarily in re-
| celVlng instructions, and in making transits
| available. nv Oe
| interest on the public debt
interest on Pacific Railway stock,
salaries and contingent expenses of steam
boat Inspectors.
Cost of transporting and ASSERTING national
| bank notes.
Sinking fund of Pacific railroads.
national bank note redemption account
Expenses OF treasury notes, under the act
| of July IA, 1890.
Coinage of silver bullion.
allowance or drawback articles on which
|
been paid when said articles are exported
TO refund any pay back taxes erroneously
or Illegally assessed or collected under the
| internal revenue laws.
Redemption of spoiled stamps.
refund Of Of direct tax levied under act OF
Marine hospital establishment. from money
collected from tonnage duties
Sums received from fines, etc., In revenue
service 1or colect1ng revenue from customs
Expenses of regulating immigration
The list here has here been carried fa1
enough for purposes of illustration
AS general rule, it will be observed
that moneys which the government re-
! celVeS from fees or charges for an ex-
! pllclt purpose are thus appropriated
under the act of congress determining
such use. Also, those debts of the gov.
ernment which are in high degree OBJ
legations of honor, and about which
! there should never be any question
|
government merely acts as a disburs.
ing agent or as the custodian of a trust
fund also constitutes quite part. Fol-
the present financial year. it is
the present financial year, II
ent annual appropriations will re-
Quire $12O.07S, ,220. The amount
actually paid under these appropria-
tions in the last fiscal year for which
the returns are fully made up, was
$73,153,7S0. The sinking fund explains
! the difference
There is some impropriety in speak
ing of money paid to the sinking-fu FUND
as an expenditure. In private life a mar
would not consider that part of his in
come which he applied to the cancella.
tion of old debts as belonging to his
! current expenses, but rather as a form
of savings. Thus the expenditures in
a year when nothing goes to the. sink
ing-fund give a more correct idea OF
what it costs to run the United States
government, and for the last four years
! these sums have been as follows:
1894 :. -. 1857 ,525, coo 1896 :. . . S52 179 OOG
1895 -. :. 356 1875 000l1S97 :. :. :. 36j, ia OOG
Another occasion of some confusion
is the postoffice appropriations In
making up "billion-dollar congress-
record it is necessary to add the full
amount appropriated for the conduct OF
the postal business, rather than the de-