Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-04-12

Expenses Of the Military Estab-
lishment We're Increased
800 Per Cent.

AioiiiiiCiiN w CT Z iIiCi SdSSQ
800 Per Cent.
c Washington, d. c., April S.-A careful
inspection OF the comparative statement
of government receipts and expenditures
for March yields some interesting anG
pregnant facts relating to the money
cost of carrying on war. OF course
that IS only one of the considerations in.
VOWED, but 1t is an important one. The
facts culled from the statement, more
over, only indicate what the total money
cost will be. For example, the statement
does not include the S20000,0 900 to be
paid to Spain for the surrender Of hcI
territorial rights and sovereignty in the
philippines, and, i'll any event, although
1t would never have been paid but for
the war, that amount may not be prop
2riy chargeable to war expenses, in view
of the immense commercial and other ad-
yantages to be derived by the United
States from this expenditure Again,
some Of the other war expenditures will
result in permanent benefit to the coun-
try, and were such as might properly
and profitably have been made even if
the United States had been at peace with
all the world. The war with Spain, hap
PLY. was one of brief dura ton, but it
has been an unusually costly one, be
cause when it began, the United States
was by no means prepared for it, and in
no case that could arise would the max
i'm Haste makes waste" be more APP
plicable. But that is an old story. All
wars are wasteful to a degree, both of
money and human life
Thus far all the war expenditures have
been the direct result of the struggle
with Spain. and those which will have to
be reckoned in the future as the cost of
maintaining and preserving and develop
ing what the country has won have not
yet begun to appear as entries in the
ledgers of the national treasury.
Expenses for Military Branch.
The biggest item of increased eXpendi-
ture on account OF the war. of course,
is that for the support of the military
establishment According to the COM
parative statement for March, the ex-
pendltureS under the head of war, that
IS, for the support of the military estab-
HSnment for the nine months since July
l, 1893, amounted to $194, 70S,377, and
the expenditures for the corresponding
period Of the last fiscal year amounted
to SIS, 1876, 1888, showing an increase of
$l46, 100000 in round figures, or more
than 300 per cent. This comparison, it
mSS be remarked, is an entirely just one,
BECAUSE it was not until the last quarter
of the last fiscal year-in the months of
May and June--that increased expendi-
lures on account of the Spanish war be-
gan TO show in the treasury accounts.
uuueI luIS uodu IedCueO
the highest point in July. 1898 (the first
month of the current fiscal year,, when
they amounted to a total of $34, ia, 153,
since which time they have steadily di-
minished, until in March the total
amounted to only $14,696. 466.
1t will be interesting to note the month
ly rise and decline of expenditure under
the head of war in the last eleven
months, as shown by the following state
ment:
1898 1898
May 49,. .S17. o93, 595 November $50, 391 ,s76
August 25,le3 2a5 .January.. 1855 5 55a
September "a, 643, 374 February. 10, 1872 09S
October =. 22,s95,O29 March -. 14,696, 46G
A slight increase of expenditures in
January, 1899, over those of December,
1898, will be noted, as well as the fact
that the decrease of expenditures from
month to month has been much slower
three months. In fact, it took six months
to lose as much as was gained in May,
June and July, 1898.
Difference in Times of Peace.
A comparison of expenditures under
the head of war for a series of fiscal
years with those of the first three-quar-
tiers of the current fiscal year is both
pertinent and interesting, because it
brings out in strong relief the difference
DCINICA TIC COSL VI Luc Military cStdD-
ishment in time of peace and when the
country IS at war with a foreign foe.
Here is such a comparison, covering q
period of six full years and the first
three-quarters of the current year:
Year ending June 30:
1898 $40, 646 517l1S97 1888 4S, 959, 267
1894 ..... "a, 325, 644 1898 ~ 81, 936, 4SS
1895 $3.50. 51S1O, 1878 1899, mo- 1874 7OS, BIT
1896 $500. 50,931,52
The average of expenditures for the
five years from 1898 to 1892 was little
above 100000 a year; those of May
and June, 1898, the first two months
after the declaration of war against
Spain, amounted to no less than $780,
81 ,391, or only about 100000 less
than the average annual expenditures
prior to that time.
The expenditures Of the first nine
months Of the current fiscal year have
/ amounted to nearly four times as much
as the average for any twelve months
prior to that time, and even if the rate
should continue to decrease in the same
ratio that it has since January the to-
tai expenditures Of the fiscal year under
the head of war will not fall below
1928, 900, as compared with an aver
! age of S5O,OOOO 900 in time of peace.
The increase Of naval expenditures on
account of the war was relatively not as
large as that of the military establish
! ment, thanks to the fact that the navy
was IN better state or preparation than
was the army, but it was heavy. In the
first three-quarters of the current fiscal
year the expenditures amounted to 500
895, 1923, as compared with $27 ,692, 97S in
the corresponding period of last year, in
dlcatlng an increase of about $50, OOO,OO
for the year-an increase equal to the
average annual expenditures on account
Of the naval establishment in FIVE years,
from 1898 to 1897, the total Of which
amounted to only S29,S11 $50.
TALK OF A ROYAL WEDDING.