Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-14
The Report Of Secretary Gage.
On. Y. Tribune.l

The first part of treasury report is al
ways. and properly. devoted to accounts
of revenue and expenditure. Secretary
Gage gives with fulness the body of de
tails which show that the receipts in the
fiscal year 1897 We're 1890. 3s1. 1919, being
larger than in the rkvious year by $50
9l1. 159 H. and that Of this increase SIC
80 37l.9S was in customs receipts, owing
to heavy importations IN advance of new
duties. The secretary estimates that the
revenue for The current fiscal year will
be SAL 227. 076.6S. of which only s16o, 00.00J
is credited to customs receipts, but he
omits the detailed statement usually
made of receipts for the part of the fiscal
year which has already elapsed. The
monthly reports have shown. however,
that the customs receipts in five months
ending with November We're SILICA, Do II.
so that the estimate implies receipts of
about Sill, 900. 600 in the seven months. De
cember-June. inclusive.
AS the amount may seem large. ii is
well that an official letter by Assistant
Secretary Howell in answer to an in
quiry regarding the workings of the new
tariff is made public the same day. 1t
states that customs receipts in four
months under the new law. Si,4a4,S22
would have been at present rates of duty
greater by So $50 961 had importatons
been only as large as they were in 1896,
when trade was seriously depressed. and
would have been greater by S6S. 236.21S I'M
der present rates of duty had importa-
tons. been as large as they were in the
same months of 1892 He shows further
that. had the importations under the new
rates been only as large as the average
for these two years. total receipts would
have exceeded actual expenditures during
the four months by So 250.254. These da
TIA. and the gradual increase in customs
receipts which The Tribune has noticed
each month. go far to justify the antici-
patiOns of the secretary. which are. in
fact, also those of the most experienced
experts in the department. When the eff
feet of anticipatory imports has passed 1t
will presently appear whether these ex
pcctations are likely to prove correct.
That the current fiscal year will prob
ably result in a deficit. which the Secre-
tary now estimates at $2S.000000. without
taking into account receipts from the sale
of the Union Pacific. has been generally
anticipated because full receipts after De-
cember would not suffice to make up the
deficit during the first half year But for
the next fiscal year the secretary esti-
mates an increase of revenue to $4S2 S74.-
641.31, including an increase of 50, 900. 900 in
internal revenue. which is not as much as
the probable increase in the current wear
over the last. The customs receipts Sec.
rotary Gage estimates at $500 900 900 for
the next fiscal year. which is practically
the same as the amount realized under
the Mckinley tariff Although a material
decrease will result from almost COM
plete stoppage of imports of tinplates and
some other articles. the duties on sugar
will yield largely. The estimates lead the
secretary to say: '"rhe tariff act of July
"a 1897. has not been in force long enough
to determine fully it's merits, but it is
confidently believed that when in full OPP
Grafton 1t will afford ample revenue for
the ordinary needs of the government.
while adequately protecting our manufac-
turing and agricultural interests"
This official declaration should silence
the assertion so often made that the pres
ent act is not expected. even by the adj
ministration. to produce sufficient rev.
enue. If the expenditures should be
largely increased by acts of Congress
some deficit might yet result. but the es-
Inmates are properly based, as were the
calculations of those who framed the act,
upon the idea that ordinary expendi-
lures would not be materially enlarged
But the secretary shows. in his state
ment of appropriations asked by the va
rfous departments. the difficulty which
confronts Congress in the effort to pre-
vent an excess of expenditures over re-
ceipts. Inc aggregate of appropriations
asked Is for the next year $5O4 522, $50
against estimated expenditures. during