The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-08

| s9l4,541, 410 The amount July 1, 1904
was 1896, 157, 40. a reduction of $l9,-
1888. $40.
| The Public Moneys.
The monetary operations of the
! government have been conducted
| through the treasurer of the United
| States, nine subtreasury officers, the
treasury Of the Philippine Islands. the
American Colonial Bank of Porto
! Rico, and S5S national-bank deposita-
| ries The amount of public moneys
held by the bank depositaries on
June 30, including funds to the credit
of the treasurer's general account and
United States disbursing officers, was
$110, 726, 253.49, a decrease since June
30, 1903. of $37, 116, 357.03. One June 90
1904 there were go regular and $40
temporary depositaries; 1873 were des-
gnated during the fiscal years and
eighteen discontinued. On Nov. 1.-the
number of depositaries was 835, and
the amount of public moneys held by
them was $114.55S.4S1.S4.
Customs Revenues.
Customs receipts for the wear were
1923. 100000 less than in the previous
year. While there was a further re-
duction during the early months of the
present fiscal year, these receipts are
now increasing, and there is no reason
to believe the revenues for the year
from this source will be less than in
1904. The falling off in 1904 over that
of the previous year was due more
largely to abnormal conditions in 1903
than to depression in 1904 There was
collected. for instance, in duties on iron
and steel and manufactures thereof
SIT 100000 during 1903, and only $900O,-
900 during the last fiscal year. This
difference is accounted for by a de-
mand for iron and steel products in ex-
cess of the capacity of American fac
tories during the former year, which is
not likely to be repeated.
Three other causes contributed to the
falling off of customs revenues in 1904.
First, the abolition of the war tax on
tea, which caused a loss of over $1,000
900; second, the abolition of the coun-
tervailing duty on sugar. which result
ed in an estimated reduction of over
5000, 900; third. the reciprocity treaty
with Cuba which caused a loss to the
customs revenues of the United States
estimated at $5,S75, 600 on sugar and
$2,215.000 on tobacco.
Increase in Free Goods.
1t is also worthy of note that there
has been constant increase in the rel
ative proportion of free over dutiable
goods. The total imports of merchan-
disc during October, 1904, was little
over 1872 100000 as against a little less
than $S2, 100000 in the same month of
the preceding year, but practically this
entire increase was IN free imports.
During the first ten months of the
present calendar year, free imports in
creased in round numbers $4,000, 900,
while dutiable imports decreased $780,
100000
Internal revenue receipts show a
slight, though immaterial, increase in
1904 over 1903
Miscellaneous receipts collected dur
ing the current fiscal year show an in
crease to date of over $3.0O0,000 This
is more than accounted for, however,
by the payments made by the Louis
lana Purchase Exposition Company.
The profit heretofore derived from
silver coinage has become unimport-
ant. The seigniorage yielded over
So, 100000 in 1902, Sc, 900 600 in 1903, less
than $5,000,000 in 1904 and during the
current year it is not likely to exceed
81, 100000.
The National Quarantine.
The protection afforded the United
States proper in the exclusion of quar-
antinable disease was continued at
the forty national maritime inspection
and disinfection stations located in the
waterways and ports of entry upon the
Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts; l.
OIL vessels were inspected and 1928 YES
sells disinfected. National quarantine
stations have been continued at all the
principal ports of Porto Rico, Hawaii,
and the Philippine Islands.
During the fiscal year 1904, small
pox was reported from thirtyzseven
states and territories, with a total of
25,106 cases and 1,11S deaths. During
the previous fiscal year. 1880 cases
and 1,642 deaths were reported.
From Sept. "a, 1903 to March 49, 1904,
there were reported in Laredo, Tex,
LOLA cases of yellow fever, with 107
deaths.
The Plague.
The cooperation Of the state and
municipal authorities of California with
the public health and marine hospital
service for the purpose of Graduating
plague infection in. the Chinese district
of San Francisco has been effective,
and the work has been steadily car
ried on under the direction of service
officers.
The surgeon general invites attention
to the danger to the United States,
and especially to the canal zone, by
reason of the prevalence of plague in
Peru, Chile, Brazil and other South
American countries, and states that
active quarantine is a present neces-
sity.