New-York tribune., 1898-10-01
T4P EXPENSES.

Some current estimates regarding the COST or
the war appear to he n little premature. to say
the least "The Journal Of Commerce. in n
Washington dispatch. estimates that the COST
including maintenance Of garrisons in con
ouered territory until the end of this fiscal year,
or for nine months at S1O,O00.000 month. will
aggregate S235 100000 Deductng the 100000
600 for future cost Of garrisons. the expenditure
would be only S145 100000. which is not much
more than the special war tax will probably
realize during the year But 1t Is difiicuf 10 nc
cept this estimate with entire confidence. Inc
cost of the war must obviously include the cost
OF preparations after the destruction OF tho
Maine made war appear inevitable. The buy
ing or charterIng of ships abroad, the purchases
of ammunition and equipments far In excess OF
quantities required for ordinary use all form
part Of the war expenditures as truly II the
money was paid In March as If IT was paid In
July or September
The only mode which is open to the public OF
estimating the actual cost thus far is to com
pare expenditures with those of the previous
year Beginning with March. soon after tho de
struction OF the Maine, the expenditures for six
months ending with August were S10S. 1879
under the Army and SOL Dos. .531 under the Navy
or nine-tenths Of the month Of September, in
creased by one-ninth indicate expenditures this
month Of s24, ,3s3. .333 for the Army and S7,744,-
444 for the Navy Department. which would
make for seven full months of preparation and
of war $132, ,521, ,50S for the Army and S59,042,-
975 for the Navy Department. But in the seven
months March to September last year, the ex-
pendtures were 35O697 731 for Army and $19,-
o<01C Co. CHI N
cess thus far of Sl36 495,5S6 in the two depart
mcnts.
1t is true that some fraction Of the increased
expenditure was probably due to other causes
than the war and preparation for it. But sum
many times as great remains TO be paid on con-
trncts made for war purposes. and in part al
ready filed. The amount due under various
heads to all the branches Of the increased Army
and Navy cannot be accurately reported. nor
can the large sum be estimated which must yet
he paid before the Army has been reduced to
the regular force and the garrisons which will
be needed In conquered territory. But enough
has been said to show that an estimate for all
war expenditures, exceeding by only about
50, 600. 900 the amount Of Army and Navy
pendltures during the last seven months beyond
those Of the same months last year, can hardly
outlays actually due TO the war.
It is stated that some Treasury officials be-
lieve that the S10.00O,000 a month estimated as
the cost Of garrisons in the islands during the
coming nine months will he covered by the cur
rent revenue This seems probable r. as the
trainers Of the special war tax estimated that
ndds about S140OOOOOO TO the revenue, but not
If those interval revenue officials are right who
think that the act will not add more than
$1000000O0 tWq =
II is to be rememhared that the Regular Army
has been enlarged the Navy has been much in
creased and other vessels Of the first class will
shortly be added and thus the regular expendi-
lures in those departments will be increased.
though just how much cannot yet be stated At
the same time these butlays and the cost Of gar
risons in the conquered islands are hardly to be
reckoned as part Of the cost Of the war. More
properly, they are part Of the outlay rendered
necessary by the acquisition Of new territory,
md, what Is far more important. new and al
together different position among the nations.
Large outlays Of one sort or another will be re-
qured before the full value Of the Nations new
possessions can he realized But Americans are
not the people TO spoil their own estate by hesi-
make It highly profitable They have too much
business sense TO forget that the new property
will pay for all the cost of ITS development
many times over. If that development Is not
stunted by needless delay or unwise economy.