Evening star., 1900-03-30
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Discussing Reduction of the War
Revenue Taxes.
Sec. GAGE SHOWS TREASURY SURPLUS
Work of New Philippine Com
mission Considered.
MEETING OF THE CABINET
Sec. GAGE SHOWS TREASURY SURPLUS
MEETING OF THE CABINET

| At the cabinet session today some thought
| was given to the question of a reduction Of
| the war revenue taxes, and there is more
| than possibility that the President will
| soon send to Congress a message recon-
| mending a reduction. This. however, has
| not been decided upon. and the President
| may conclude that the act creating the ad-
| ditional taxes ought to stand undisturbed
| until the next session OF Congress.
The Treasury Surplus.
Secretary Gage. who recently talked TO
| members of congressional committees on the
same subject, put the matter before the
| President and cabinet by submitting some
| figures as TO the present and prospective
| condition of the treasury. So far during
| the present fiscal year the surplus of re-
ceipts over expenditures amounts TO s52-
SiS,SoS, with another days receipts TO come
| in, making the probable surplus for the
| nine months a round S53, 100000.
| There are three more months of the fiscal
| year. They will undoubtedly swell the sur
| plus to more than s60,OvO,VU. Should each
| OF the remaining months produce as hear-
| lily in revenue as the past month the SUR
plus will go high as s75, 100000 or greater
| The surplus for the month OF April will be
| about $l5.5UO,0oO. Secretary Gage does not
consider it is good policy that this large
| surplus shall continue to accumulate
| through part or all of another fiscal year.
The accumulation OF this money in the
| affairs through the country.
| Raised by wnr Revenue Act.
The war revenue act is estimated to pro-
| duce $100,000ooo or more a year. 1t has,
therefore, furnished by far the greater part
| OF the surplus, present and prospective. 1t
| is possible that the act furnishes a larger
| sum than the one given. Neither the Pres
ident nor Secretary Gage would consider It
| wise TO lop off this entire revenue, as that
1 infaf skz.r-
year, but nearly half of the revenue can be
| cut off, leaving comfortable surplus.
| Secretary Gage recognizes that unusually
| prosperous conditions have swelled the re-
| ceipts from customs and internal revenue
| and that under less prosperous conditions
| the receipts from these sources would be
| many millions less. Consequently no MEM
Der of the administration would recon-
mend reducing the receipts to equal the eN-
| penditures, inasmuch as a change in condi-
| tons might decrease the receipts or greatly
] increase the expenditures.
Reason for Delay.
The President has not recommended u de-
| crease in the taxation imposed by the war
| revenue act, for the reason that the re-
ceipts were for a long time problematical
l and that nobody knew how large would be
| the expenditures IN connection with the big
army sent TO the Philippines. A test of
| how much the War Department is likely 10
| spend has been had for the last four five
gaused what the expenses will be in the
future.
In January the War Department expendi-
| lures were 81, 352 s23; February, 50, ,436, ,0S3,
| and for this month they will be about S.
/ 5ooooo These expenditures are about
double those under normal conditions prior
| to the Spanish-American war. 1t is seen
that there will not likely be an average Of
| more than s9,500.0o0 month hereafter for
! the army. All other expenses are back TO
normal conditions.
Nf.2 t1rill faly fha
with Secretary Gage and the chairnnen Of
| the appropriations committees of Congress
and something will be decided upon.
InstructinE the New Cemmission.
Secretary Root talked for long time
about the work of the Philippine COM
| mission. The President and Secretary
! Gage are preparing the Instructions which
will govern the commission.
Complaint was made that the former
commission was frequently ignored by Gen.
Otis in the Philippines. No such conditions
will arise with the new commission. Tie
instructions will be SO specific that Gen.
Otis and the commission will know what 10
do. In general way the commission Will
be supreme This will be the case in nearly
| all civil matters. The commission will
make civil rules and regulations and thsy
will be executed by Gen. Otis and his army.
The commission goes over to inaugurate
civil government and TO teach the people
the good intentions of the United States.
Its authority will be backed by the army.
President Taft will be in a large measure
| the personal representative of President
Mckinley, and this will be pretty well
known to all officials in the islands.
American Institute i'm Paris.
President Mckinley this morning received
a visit from III. Cambon, French ambassa-
dor; Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew of the
board Of trustees Of the American National
Institute in Paris and Miss Matilda Smed-
ley, the promoter and originator Of the first
definite movement for such an institution.
In his latest message to Congress Presi-
dent Mckinley called attention to suR-
gestion that this country erect, on a site
already given an American national insti-
tute for Americans resortfng to Paris for
the study of the arts. The Secretary OF
State has also given his approval to the
proposed institute which would cost, it Is
estimated, $25o,oo0.
The visit to the President was to present
to him beautifully engraved memorial
from the great masters Of France in sup
port of the institute, and assuring their MD
in whatever is done by this country. The
memorial is signed by the most illnstrious
men of France In presenting the memorial
to the President Senator Depew referred
to the great incentive which the institute
would be to the American student
What France VIII Do.
Ambassador Cambon followed with a
statement of the pleasure it gave him 10 see
the movement for the institute assuming
people in this country, the President in
cluded. He felt sure that France would
always give her support to the institute.
The municipality of Paris has offered the
choice of certain sites for the location of
the institute The French laws prevent
outright gift of a site, but a perpetual lease
is to be given for the nominal figure of one
franc year.
This proposed institute is intended to be
to the youth of America what TO France
are the schools founded by that country
in Rome and Athens. The ''Prix de Paris"
will be the goal to the youth of the United
States who aspire to become great masters
In painting, sculpture, music, drawing,
drama, literature and the sciences.
An Appropriation Proposed.
1t is proposed to have bills introduced in
Congress appropriating s250,ooo for the
erection of the institute, which is to be
wholly under American control Scholar
ships from each state will probably follow.
the fitness OF applicants to be determined
by tribunal of examiners in this coun-