The times., 1899-11-01
The GOVERNMENTS EXPENSES.
The Receipts and Disbursements for
the Fiscal Year OF 1899.

The Receipts and Disbursements for
the Fiscal Year OF ts99-
The Chief OF the Division OF Bookkeep-
iug and Warrants has iust submitted 10
Secretary Gage what is known as the
Combined Statement Of the Receipts and
Disbursements apparent and actuaIl 90
the United States for the Fiscal Year End
ed June 80. 1899. This is one Of tue most
interesting OF ali Government puhIica-
tions. The net ordinary expenditures OF
the Government. excluding interest in 1900
were approximately 81 900. COO From 1880
to 1870 they averaged about Si7. 900 COO
annually. BY 1860 they had reached $50
100000; by 1850 $40 900 600, while in 1895
and thereabouts, preceding the Spanish
war, Federal expenditures. including in
terest, had come to be computed al 81 000.-
600 day. That figure has now become a
memory. While it is yet too early TO
tell what our expenses will be when We
reach an actual peace basis. It is not likely
ihat We shall ever get back TO 81 .Oe0 GOO
day. And yet this is a huge sum when
all the municipal. State, and other taxes
are taken into account. together with the
ices and other Governmental charges ex-
acted from the public in various forms.
The recently published review gives some
interesting comparisons as 20 the receiuts
oy states In customs. New York STATE
collects SlSS, 000. 900 out OF gross receipts of
sue, 10000 All but about &. .00O 600 Of
this is collected in New York city. PbiIa-
delphia collects $22 000. 600. Boston s15
100000. San Francisco 81. 500. goo Chicago
SIS. 400. 600. New Orleans S3. 500 eco Balfi
more $1,000. 900, and St Louis 81 400 Geo
These are approximately the receipts OF The
States in which these cities are located
respectively. Little is collected by the
smaller custom-house That al Vicks-
burg. Miss, for example. took In Sass last
year. and the gross receipts at Teche. the
only place for the receipt OF customs In
Louisiana outside Of New Orleans. amount
ed to just 81. In Massachusetts. customs re-
eeipts at Barnstable were 1902 45. and at
EdgartOwn S217.47. From the total OF Gus
toms receipts IS, GOO 600 was deducted 10
make various necessary corrections in the
accounts, such as the amount of the ton
mage tax included in customs reeefuts.
which is applied 10 the support OF the
Marine Hospital Service. and amounts re-
funded on goods afterwards exported.
The internal revenue States stand in this
order: Illinois New York. PENNSYLVANIA.
AhNAANA~AFr bA4ANs AAAAdAlli. anu AAS1OUEl. AuH
great public land States and Territories are
Oklahoma, Montana. South Dakota. Cali
tornia, Oregon, and Colorado. The total
receipts from this source are only 81 67S-
600, little more than one business DAYS
expenditure. The miscellaneous sources OF
Government revenue are interesting. such
as tax on sealskins, rent Of islands OF
Alaska for prOpagating foxes, premium on
exchange, rent OF Government buildings,
donations to the United States fOrfeitures
by contractors, penalty for importing Ia
borers under contract. penalty under Chi
nese exclusion act, sale OF medals and proof
coins, proceedings Of gold sWeepings in
the Treasurer's Ohice, exhaust steam from
a rented building in Washington, sale Of
Spanish coins and notes found on the sImi-
rante OquendO, and bribes given TO United
States officers
The disbursements constitute a still more
impressive chapter. They open with the
United States Senate. which would be a
good place for a refOrmer. IL one should
ever arise. to begin The first six entries
are in round numbers. Salaries and mile
age Of Senators. S4S4 900, salaries Of officers
and employees. 1886. 600. reimbursement 10
official reporters. 81. 600; one months extra
pay to officers and employees. S93, 900, pay
ment for extra services. Sc 900; reporting
proceedings and debates. SO, 1000. Most OF
these charges could stand a heavy shrink
age without the slightest detriment to the
public service Il is significant that the
Senate with it's ninety members pays IT'S
employees $4,000 more per annum than the
House with its 357 members.
The House Of Representatives spends
S4O5. Geo in salaries Of efficers and employees.
S4150O0 in clerk hire. and SS3,000 in the
one months extra pay. besides a lot OF
smaller charges. The packing boxes which
members of the House have 20 carry home
their effects in at the end Of a session cost
the Government last year S6 1850. The
Capitol police cost on both sides Of the
Capitol. S66. 600. The sum Of S76 546 Al was
paid out for 'contesting seats in Congress
This has become a reasonably lucrative
business for small investors.
The United States Government bears q
number of interesting charges in its ca
pacity as a member Of the family OF nations.
II paid last year 10 aid the maintenance OK
the International Bureau for the Publishing
of Customs Tariffs, SI,31S for the Inter
national Bureau at Brussels for the Re
preston Of the African Slave Trade, SS4;
for the International Union OF American
Republics. S35.9 .9s9; for the International
Geodetic Association for the Measurement
Of the Earth, 81 4SS; for the International
Fisheries Exposition at Bergen. Norway,
So $50; for an international conference or
catalogue and scientific literature, $500. and
for the International Prison Commission,
81 qS7