The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-05-10
cOUNTRY'S EXPENSES EXCEED
RECEIPTS BY FORTY MIL
LION DOLLARS.
Officials Are Badly Ratified Over the
Estimates That Were Made by
Secretary Shaw.


That "unexampled prosperity which
was trumpted by the republican ora
tors is disappearing at an uneXampled
rate. There is to be a deficit surely at
the end of the present fiscal year, and
the experts are busy trying to make
it as little as possible.
one official says that it will be s40,-
100000, and he makes it out in round
numbers this way:
By the end of the fiscal year $50
100000 will have been paid because
of the acquisition of the Panama Ca
nal and about $4.000.OO0 to the St.
Louis exposition. That makes a to-
tai of $54,000,000 and the secretary of
would be a surplus of $4,000 900.
Therefore there must be a deficit at the
end of the year of at least 100000 900.
This sum will, however, be met
said this official.
|. When asked how it was to be met
he said that perhaps the customs re-
ceipts, which are going down, might
come up, and, besides, there would be
a surplus next year anyhow.
There is no denying the fact, how
ever, that the officials are badly rat
tied over the estimate of a surplus by
pleading the baby act. They say, for
instance, that when Mr.. Shaw made
his estimate he did not know about
the falling off in customs receipts. and
they did not know" that the St Louis
amount would not be met out of sur
plus instead of out of a deficiency.
More Strict Economy.
If we had known this" said an Of
ficer. there might have been economy
more strict"
There was, however, no economy at
the White House. Notwithstanding
the effort made by those responsible
for the expenditures. the White House
bill ran up $150,000 in excess of last
year, and it was only after a hint from
the party managers that the president
decided to withdraw his scheme for
$4,000 stable for his horses
The statisticians of the treasury are
at their wits end to explain the fall
ing off in customs receipts, with the
country at its alleged flood tide of
prosperity.
The officials say the decline is due
to free importations to few articles
of luxury imported and also to a gem
eral decrease.
All these admissions prove the case
against the tariff and protected trust
made goods.
1t is pointed out here that the de-
crease in the importation of articles
of luxury so called, shows that there is
no genuine confidence or prosperity.
The decrease in iron and steel, which
is perhaps the most important, shows
that the tariff which is supposed to
protect the trust goods, hurts Ameri-
can trade.
But the republicans cannot explain
nor can the treasury experts explain
why there should be a falling off of
tWenty-one millions this year in Gus
toms as against last year.
ton as causing the deficit will not ex-
plain the total and they are now hard
at work getting up a statement which
is to be used in the campaign as an ex-
planatory document
One statement that would be olsen
genuous, if it We're not absurd, was
made today by Mr.. Keep, assistant of
the treasury, on this deficit business
He said that it should be borne in
mind that congress adjourned very
early this year and that if it had re-
manned in session it would have been
able to handle all the details. so that
there would be no apparent" deficit.
The plain fact is, however, that when
Mr.. Shaw made his boast of a. s1rnus
OF fourteen million dollars for poltti-
cal effect he knew just as mucn al he
knows today.
The object, of course, was to remove
any arguments democrats might have
had, had he stated the real facts of the !
case before the adjournment of con-
gress. The deficit in customs receints
began 70 snow themselves only yester- |
day at least the officials say so, and
II was therefore necessary to come out |
IN the open and abandon the false es-
innate of fourteen million dollars sur
plus. The total extraordinary expen- |
oltures are admitted to be fifty-four
al