Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-31
THE NATIONAL DEFICIT
ACTING SECRETARY TAYLOR DIS
CUSsFS PARKER'S CRITICISMS.

Acting Secretary Taylor of the treasury
has taken exceptions to many of the
statements made by Judge Parker in his
address to 1000 farmers at Esopus last
Friday. and In an interview on the sub
ject today said:
"A prominent democratic official of my
acquaintance. who Is now a candidate for
governor of his state. once. when chided
for indulging in extreme looseness of
speech in regard to public affairs. re-
piled: Yes. but we politicians have to do
such things
Judge Parker unconsciously. perhaps.
seems tO have adopted this rather shady
system of political ethics. 1 made a brief
statement a few days ago mildly calling
attention to several very apparent and even
ludicrous errors on his part. unintentional
no doubt, but made out of the fullness Of
his misinfOrmation in regard to the con-
duct of certain public affairs.
THE judge has not Joined issue as to
any of the facts, neither has he admit ed
his mistakes, but he seems to have thought
some repi. necessary, and so he prepared a
speech mixing up few of my figures with
many others to which made no reference.
and as there was n delegation of demOcra tic
farmers on their pilgrimage to worship at
the Shrine of EsCpus he determined to try
1t on them. What the effect was current
history fails to record, but it is safe to as
sumo that they swallowed what he said and
liked x.
ANY farmer who after the losses he
sustained during the last democratic admin
lStration. and the profits he has realized
curing the recent prosperous years of re-
publican control still remains a democrat,
| can safely be fed on any sort of political
| pabulum labeled democratic.
The Treasury Deficit
| Judge Parker referred again to the
treasury deficit of S24.O0o0O0 during the
| fi-St Nf tl,ie- "a
compares it with the small deficit of last
! year for the corresponding months. Just
why he signalled out last year for a COM
! pa rison l leave the reader to Judge.
IF he had taken several other recent
years he would have found the deficit
larger than this year. But that would have
spoiled his story. AS l said in my previous
statement, the drafts upon the treasury
are always of necessity the heaviest during
the first months of the fiscal year. The rea-
son is apparent. Practically all appropri-
ations lapse on June 30, the end of the fiscal
year. The new appropriations are not
available until July 1. Then every dsburs-
ing officer draws for money to meet thu
obligations that begin to accrue during the
new year.
Unusual Conditions.
This year, during the months of July
| and August SOL 1O.31493 was advanced to
| disbursing officers. Considerable of this
money is still in their hands to meet obli-
cations not yet accrued or presented. There
are two reasons why the deficit this year
was large: First, the receipts fell Off S.
100000. and, second. the demands were I'M
usually heavy. Seven millions of dollars
were paid to the Post Office Department.
largely account of the extension of the
free delivery; the navy requirements were
larger than usual, and the amount neces-
Sary TO pay for sites and public buildings
authorized and under construction was in
creased several fold over previous years.
The loss of revenue and those demands
easily account for the S24,000,00O deficit
which occurred during July and August
but which succeeding months are reduc-
ing and will wipe out before the close of
the year
Deficits in Other Years.
Judge Parker made his comparison
only with last year. Suspicious people
may think this was done with intent to
deceive L attribute it to lack of knowl-
edge, and not wrong intent. 1t is abund-
antly evident that he has been misled as
to various public affairs. either through
carelessness or through design.
IF he had himself looked up the records
he would have found almost without ex-
ception deficits in the beginning of each
fiscal year; and often in recent years they
have been as large larger than this
year. 1t even appears that during the
economical administration of President
Cleveland, to which he admiringly re-
fers. there We're heavy deficits. In July and
August 1894 (Cleveland) the deficit was
SIS, 1SJ 900. In July and August 1897 Just
after the close of the Cleveland admin
istrat ton. there was a deficit of S23, 199. 900.
In 1895 the deficit was So. 900; in 1899,
S4f. so, coo So Judge ParkerS comparison,
referring only to last year. was hardly a
fair one.
EcrTMnTJNc JApAN,S EYpENSES