Year: 1874

retrenchment figures are very small The 81,
millions could very well have been made six
teen millions or more. Mr.. Richardson, hkt
his Cabinet colleagues, cannot divest his minC
of the extravagance of war times or come tt
the necessary economy of peace establish
ment


Mr.. Fish can only cut out the fifty thousand
dollars from his estimates which was the ap-
preparation for official postage stamps. The
State Department is not very costly one, II
is true, but considering its inefRciency and
its many useless surroundings and employees
less sum than is demanded would be suf-
fcient The Department Of Justice is willing
to pare down little, but the amount saved
there could not be much.


The Secretary of the Navy is willing to spare
two millions, but not more. If the navy were
of any use to defend our flag and the national
honor-if it were even likely to be used for
such purpose and not merely as an orna-
ment-and if there were capacity in the
department to make it really efficient, the
American people would not object to spending
even twenty-seven millions year. AS it is
there can be no harm done in reducing the
estimates several millions, at least as long as
our peaceful Secretary of State remains in
Office to accept any insult to the flag or
national humiliation. AS to protecting Amer
lean citizens abroad, the navy is rendered
utterly useless, however ready its gallant
officers may be to do their duty.


The War Department has had all tho bureau
officers examined, and after o careful investi-
cation can only make small reductions in a
few items. Nearly all the officers hold on to
their estimates, and General Sherman cannot
dispense with his infantry, cavalry and artil-
lery forces. He remarks, however, that if the
pruning knife be applied at all it should be
only to the engineer and staff corps, over
which he has no control. He emphatically
declares that some of the forts and coast de-
fences are not of the slightest importance and
should not have another dollar spent on them.
With all due regard to these high authorities
we must say that our military establishment is
much too costly in time of peace We need
but small army, and that mostly for service
among the Indians. Considerable reduction
could be made in the estimates for this branch
of the public service. We have yet to hear
from the Secretary Of the Interior.


Apart from the sums necessary for interest
on the debt, for a sinking fund and for PEN
sions, all burdens brought upon us by the
war, and amounting to something like hun
dred and sixty millions-that is if we
allow twenty nine to thirty millions for a
sinking fund-the current expenses Of the gov
eminent need cost little more than before the
war. About seventy millions then were suf6-
cient. Suppose we add thirty millions to
that, in view of the increase Of population and
business Of the government, and make the
current expenses hundred millions, exclusive
of interest on the debt, sinking fund and
pensions we should then have total expen-
diture OF two hundred and sixty millions 1t
ought not to be over two hundred and fifty
millions. No more taxation would be needed
then. Indeed, the revenue would be more
than ample. But it will be difficult to bring
the departments to the proper economy oi
peaceful times. They tenaciously resist re-
trenchment Congress, however, can force
them to it. The people will hold that body
responsible for the necessary reforms, and will
certainly object to increased taxation or an
increase of the national debt.