The Topeka state journal., 1905-05-02
Ran S9,OOO,OOO BEHIND
Big Deficit in Government Revenues
for April.

Washington, May 2.-The expendi-
lures of the government exceeded its
current income by more than $1,000
900 in April. and the treasury deficit
for the first ten months of the fiscal
year is upward Of s34.OO0,0OO. seere-
tary. Shaw has consulted with the act
uary Of the treasury department, with
the result that he is assured the de-
felt for the fiscal year ending June 80
next will not exceed S24,o0O,O00 ana
that it viii probably be below that
figure.
other officers of the department are
not so confident. The months OF May
and June nearly always show a Dat-
ance on the right side of the govern
ment's big account books, but It Is re
garded as a slim chance that the re-
ceipts for the last two months OF lne
fiscal period viii exceed the eXpendl-
lures by as much as s1O,000,OO0. Mr..
ShaW7s estimate of this years deficit'
made about twenty months ago, was
$18,O000O0. Many persons who are
familiar with the finances OF the gov
ernment believe this years shortage
will not be less than $4,000, 600, and
predict that it may reach $50, 100000
The April Deficit.
The receipts of the government in'l
April amounted to $39,778.1S2, and
the expen nditures to S49,015.0O0- The
deficit for the north was, therefore,
$9,236,S1S. The receipts In April were
considerably smaller than those Of
the same month in 1904 and the ex-
penditures increased in a larger ratio
than the receipts decreased.
In April last year. the current in
come amounted to S41.529.421. and the
disbursement footed up S47,13O. O00-
On April p of last year there was a
surplus In the treasury for the fiscal
year amounting to $2.43s,s3e. al
though there had been a substantial
deficit at various times during the last
ten months. Judged by the relation
of income an doutgo alone. the treas
ury was better off last year at this
time by more than s30,000.00 than it
IS now.
Problem Is Serious.
The problem of the deficit is a Sc
rious one in the opinion OF the treas
ury officials. The cash balance in the
treasury has declined to S133, ,191,777,
including the amounts held by the na-
tiOnal bank repositories, and Secretary
Shaw has found it necessary to with
draw from the banks $50, 600, 600. The
cash balance actually on hand in the
treasury has fallen below the point Of
The condition of the governments
finances will certainly cut a large fig
uTe in the proposed revision Of the tariff
law, for the mainStay Of the govern
ment is the income from duties. The
customs receipts during the first ten
months Of the current fiscal year are
less than those of the current months
in the last fiscal year, although there
has been an enormous increase in i'm
portattons Of foreign products. The i'm
pOrtat1Ons, however, have failed to pro-
duce a larger revenue, because the in
crease In impOrtatiOns has been largely
In those classes of goods which are in
cluded IN the free list of the Dingley
law. For example, there has been a
ThannFaRmaH growth In oF v-axz
materials for manufacturers many OF
which are not dutisble or are dutiable
at a low rate
Customs Receipts.
The customs receipts in the first ten
months Of this fiscal year have amount
ed to $219, ,836, ,486, as against S220, $40, ,965
in the corresponding period of last year
There has also been a slight decrease 1
in receipts from internal revenue the
income from this source for the first ten
months, not including the last day of
AprN, which this year falls on Sunday,
being $192, 700, 907, as against S193, lis, ,S72
in the same months of the fiscal year
1904 On the other hand the receiIGs
from miscellaneous sources have in
creased from $37, ,925, ,332 to S39 l76 755
The Zig Navy Expense.
The increase of about s36 900 600 in
current expenditures Of the government
during the first ten months of the cur
rent fiscal year was due chiefly to the
large disbursements for the naval es-
GaDl1S1nent, and a lesser degree, to dis
bursements for civil and miscellaneous
objects and for Indians. The navy has
cost S15,000.O00 more during the last ten
months than 1t did in the same months
Of the fiscal year of 1904, the exDendf-
lures for civil and miscellaneous pur-
poses were nearly $s.OO0 900 greater, and
the disbursements on account Of Indians
between So, 900, 900 and $4OOO0OO greater.
The total expenditures for the navy in
fha last he .
as against SS4.4O0,1S7 in the first ten
months Of the fiscal year 1904