The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-24

There are tricks In all trades, and II
seems there are some excellent tricks that
are turned by the officials Of the treasury
department in presenting the results to the
public of the fiscal operations OF the gov
eminent from year TO year. BY one OF
these tricks the department has just fig
ured down real deficit of fully 500, 600, =
600 to something like sSS,00O,000 for the
fiscal year which closed with last month.
reduction by peculiar methods and
misleading figuring of $4,000, 600 in the
deficit does not after all show any great
results or financierng TO brag about. but
the figures given out seem to have tiokled
the republican organs immoderately and
apparently made the republican officials
feel good enough to indulge in Boosting.
The manner Ia which this reduction of
S1OO,O0O,000 deficit to an SIS, 900, coo de-
felt WAS accomplished is exposed by the
Philadelphia Record. That watchful paper
tells us that the simple and familiar meth
cd is TO save expenditures in the closing
days of June and carry them over to the
next fiscal year. For example, the Record
furnishes the following:
According to the treasury statement the
total expenditures for June amounted 10 $751;
1882 162 or an average OF a little more than a
million a day. Tn to the 10Th OF June the
daily expenditures were considerably above a
million. and then came gradual pairing
down. On the 2lst of June the figure was
$50 GOO; on the ed s66o,O00; on the -Slh. the
expenditure fell to Si64 900; on the 29th to
$4,000. and on the goth to slil,O00 We have
given the round figures.
In nj
out for the Indians or for interest account On
the 2sth of June. nothing for the navy on the
s9th ot June, and nothing for the war de-
partmollt on the both of June. Probably moth
Ink was due those days on such accounts but
In the early DAYS of July the nguies OF treas-
nrv expenditures rose again With the mer-
curry IN the Thermometer. On july the eH
penditures mounted to Si.Sp3 TOO; on the
9Th to s4,6OS .000; on the 9th 10 1Oa. and
on thu lth TO AI5IOoo Thus The balance OF
expenditure has been fully restored,
few OF the leading papers OF the coun,
try that make it a custom or policy to
closely watch and frequently comment on
the fiscal operations of the government
have long since pointed out that as master
pieces in iuggled figures the treasury re-
ports for the past two or three years stand
without rivalry. Appropriations for use
full and authorized improvements are held
back. payments are deferred and all the
brute force. the schemes and the red tape
OF the departments are utilized to cover,
as far as possible, the startling deficits
under the administration of a man whose
song during his campaign was that the
expenditures must and would be brought
within the revenues OF the government!
But such clumsy tricks, while they may
deceive some, can not mislead the many.
The trickery Is sure to react upon Its
authors in 1900. The peculiar methods
can not be maintained much longer Tho
law Is there and the record of its disre-
gard or violation equally plain. The sim
Pile fact is that this administration, with
a trihing little war lasting only three
months on its hands. except as 1t has seen
fit 10 hunt q war in another quarter than
originally intended, with the highest tar
ifl seen for years and with war taxation
Of a heavy and varied description to sup
plement the regular taxes. has been one
OF the most extrayagant and costliest on
record within the history OF the nation!