The Washington times., 1908-12-30
Deficit for Fiscal Year as ES-
timated by Cortelyou,
S114,OOO,OOO.
LITTLE LIKELIHOOD
OF ECONOMIZING
WayS and Means Committee Is
Looked To for New Sources
of Revenue.

Uncle sam winds up The calendar year
lsN with a badly shrunkcn pocketbook.
Since she fiscal or business year began
ON the first of last July, he has spent
about S55O0O.O00 more than he has made.
MS. mind you, is the showing for only
half the year, and by the end OF the
financial twelfth month ii will be con
sidcrsbly more than SlOO,O0O,Oc0 Secre-
tary CortelyOu estimates that it viii be
SII4o0o,Uo0 Last year the deficit was
only S5S.00O,OO for the twelve months
and the year before there was surplus
OF about $4OoC0OoO.
Next year, if he is prOpOTtiOnately as
oxtravagant, the deEcit will be flirting
with the S2O0OOO,O coo mark, and he has
at the present day only about $l6LOOO,oO
cash balance in the Treasury.
Nor is the gloomy story told I'm full
when these figures are shown lie has
another expensive Congress on his
hands Each winter the men who make
the laws and O. i. the appropriations
scatter the nations money with in
CTcdSiuE laViShneSs. The nrSt session
OF the F'ifty-ninth Congress approprl-
Jted. IN round numbers, $6l0Oe0,pO; the
second session of tho Fifty-ninth spent
Si}N.0eI.D1o and the first session Of the
Sixtieth Congress made appropriations
JotalinS more than S6gN,oC1,0uO.
No Economy Expected.
The session that is with us now is the
saQoBS of the SiAteth Congress ard
there Is no reason to believe that 1t
viii develop any unexpected economical
streak thai Will bring the total a1prO-
priations for two years under the billion
line.
80 much for the dark side of-the
cloud
hope that the Ways and Means Com
Inittee will nnd money TO pay the bills
Just at present the committee has d
harder task on its hands than usually
falls 10 tho lot of the money-making
ing powers az the Government are so
small that Uncle sam is simply COM
PEELED TO make more money. He has
20 nav the bills his children. the Con
easiest way to do this Is TO make his
other children, the citizens, pay higher
duties on some OF the goods they buy
from abroad Coffee and tea. which DO
not now pay any duty at All. probably
VIII he called upon 90 help the Treas
urv out of its present hole \ duty of
" cents a pound would not be felt sert-
"usly by the consumers. II is argued,
and may bring iu revenue of $f0.gU0U0O
or S-o.01NouO. Practically everybody In
tEe country drinks coffee, tea, or both,
and the revenue 70 be derived from this
source is, therefore. a certain one and
as permanent as II is sure.
New Revenue Sources.
Another scheme the Ways and Means
Committee is considering is a bank
check tax il was rcsurtcd 10 during
the Spanish war and proved money
Ectter bevOud expectations. The Treas
Ery expects a bank stamp viii bring in
SfoCooe0g moro.
still third suggested revenue pro-
ducer. but one that viii probably not be
adopted. IS that of AN additional DOL
lar = barrel or beer. This was tried
dBrfng the Spanish war, and nctted the
Government about $3o,000O00 annually.
II the tariff and the internal revenue
fail TO make enough money 10 pay the
Governments bill the Secretary OF the
Treasury has IL always in his power
80 issue bonds 10 raise the wind.
But this Is a bad medicine from a DO
litlc7l standpoint, and more than one
party has gone down TO defeat in the
past because Of its fOndness for bond
issues during times of peace