New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-13
A SURPLUS, NOT A DEFICIT.
FIGURES OF THE SECRETARY OF The
TREASURY MISLEADING.
THEY INCLUDE THE DETAILED ESTIMATES FOR
RIVER AND HARBoR WORKS MADE BY sUBoR-
DINArEs IN -HE WAR DEPARTMENT-IN-
STEAD OF sG5oooOOO FOR THIS PUR-
POSE. NOT MORE THAN $4,000.
ooo WILL BE EXPENDED
(BY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIEUNE.l

Oco WILL BE EXPENDED.
(BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIEUNE]
Washington, Dec. 12.-"And hereafter the Sec
re:ary OF War shall annually submit estimates
in detail for river and harbor Improvements re-
quired for the ensuing fiscal year to the Secre-
tary oe the Treasury to be included In and car
ried into the sum total Of the book Of estimates
This quotation from the last Sundry civil APP
preparation bill. as It became a law and STANDS
upon the statute books explains the apparent
prospect OF a deficit in the fiscal year which IS
to begin on July /. 1898.
A good deal OF distress has been manifested IN
certain quarters over the figures Of the report or
the Secretary Of the Treasury, which indicate
deficit in the next fiscal year. The people IN
dulglng in this distress Will perhaps be gratihed
TO know that the deficit Is only apparent ana
that the figures when considered in the light OF
the paragraph cited. warrant the assertion that
the next fiscal year will show a surplus OF 800
0OO 0Ob Instead OF a deficit OF S21 .OO0OoO The
explanation OF this apparent deficit is found In
a single line on page - Of the Secretary's re-
port. II Is az follows:
Public works, War Department S65.4OO,-
400 ST."
The above is the formal estimate" for river
and harbor improvements in the fiscal year In
question. now required to be inserted In the
annual estimates sent TO Congress by the Sec
retary Of the Treasury Prior to the adoption
Of this new requirement the Secretary Of War
made hts estimates of the amount required for
the river and harbor Improvement on the Judg
ment Of the Chief of Engineers. Now he is
obliged to Insert in the annual estimates every
dollar that any and every subordinate officer
in charge OF the various improvements the
country over may choose to name the
amount that can he "proftably expended" dur
ing the coming fiscal year
Everybody familiar with the reports OF offi-
GERS in charge OF river and harbor works knows
that II is their habit to recommend the ap-
preparation ot large sums. usually two or three
times as much as is expected to he obtained.
1t has also been the habit Of the War Depart
ment for many years 10 reduce TO about one
third ~ their dimensions the estimates made
by these subordinate officers.
An example OF this may be found In the total
estimates for river and harbor works sent 10
Congress in December. 1891. 10 cover the ex-
pendltures NJ the fiscal year 1899. for which the
Secretary recommended an appropriation of Sl3.-
POS 1898 on the very same page began Lengthy
table which gave the detailed estimates pre-
sented for the various rivers and harbors, the
total of these figures being S52,4N9950. That
j tdnl' WAS iTP''t'l ny lit I'llVNlUE i't''
River and hnrbor. showing the amount that
can be prohtahy expended in the next fiscal
year. The following statement is not furnished
as a part ~ the annual estimates for the public
service required by the act Of March 3. 1915. tc
be presented by the Secretary Of War 10 the Sec
retary Of the Treasury. but Is inserted as a con-
! venient and customary summary OF Items taken
/ from the annual report Of the chief Of En-
gneers for the fiscal year 1901 showing. under
/ the provision OF the act Of Congress. approved
! March ., 1861. the amount that can he profit
/ ably expended In the next fiscal year on each
Of the works mentioned"
| In this case II will be seen that the figures
! covering the amount that be profltab bly,
/ expended ir the next fiscal year" were so 4S9,-
| go while the amount that actually esti-
| mated was $l3 32Os 303 The result was that the
| total estimates I'm that year they went to
| Congress contained for river and harbor Inn
| provements only the condensed item OF Sl32OS.
| 8g3. instead OF the elaborate estimate OF profit
! allie expendtures' amounting to $52 1890
| This year, however the law enacted by the last
| Congress compels the Secretary to put into the
! annual estimates the entire sum named I'm these
statements Of the amount that can be prontably
| expended in the next fiscal year" The resul,
is that the sum ESTIMATED" for river and har.
bor works alone in the next fiscal year is SG5,
! IOO.iO9 ST. while nobody expects that the ap-
proprations Will be more than one third of this
| sum.
Since the figures Of the Secretary OF the Treas
ury. including the So 100 400 81 for rivers and
! harbors. estimate deficit OF only S2l8i7SS5
and since II is absolutely certain that the actual
expenditures for rivers and harbOrs will fall
nearly or quite Si0,0O0,00O below this enforced
estimate II is apparent that the actual appro
priatlons for the fiscal year Will be 00C
less than the estimated receipts instead OF
| $50 600 600 more.