Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1899 — WASHINGTON [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON

A recent report by the Treasury Department contains some interesting information concerning the cost of collecting the revenues of the Government. During the last fiscal year the aggregate receipts at all the custom houses amounted to $150,443,936.93, while the expenses of maintaining the service is reported by collectors at $6,776,394.67. Thus it costs the Government 4.6 cents to collect $1 in revenue. The imports during the year amounted to $616,049,654 and the exports, both foreign and domestic, to $1,231,482,333, or a total commerce of $1,847,531,984. At only five custom houses, however, was the actual cost of collecting the revenues as low as the average. At New York it cost the Government 2.8 cents to collect a dollar; Philadelphia, 3.8 cents; Dubuque, 3.3 cents; Des Moines, 3.4 cents, and Chicago, 3% cents. The following is a statement of the aggregate collections at the principal ports of entry, the expense of operating the service and the average cost of collecting $1: • Cost of Aggregate collecting Collections. Expenses. sl. New Y0rk.5103,703,355.40 $2,886,659.42 2.8 Phllad’la . 12,602,172.81 472,638.37 3.8 Boston ... 10,689,064.12 632,035.69 5.9 S. Franc’O. 5,393,753.63 387,415.51 7.2 Chicago .. 4,179,898.27 146,446.52 3.5 Baltimore. 1,746,124.46 246,722.49 13.0 N. Orleans 1,487,263.15 200,630.06 13.5 St. Louis.. 1,000,632.43 47,479.38 4.7 These are the only offices in the country at which over a million dollars revenue was collected. The following is a similar statement of customs districts in the Northwest: Cost of Aggregate collecting collections. Expenses. sl. Detroit ... $407,(96.20 $70,826.40 17.4 St. Paul... 211,407.05 33,784.73 16.0 Milwaukee. 202,957.29 16,520.84 8.1 In only 101 of the 152 customs districts of the United States was the revenue collected with any profit to the Government. In fifty-one districts it cost the Government more than 100 cents to collect a dollar. The most expensive customs district during the year was that at Yaquina, Ore., where it cost $531 to collect sl. Coos Bay, in southern Oregon, came next, with $378.52 expended for every dollar collected. At Georgetown, S. C., it cost $300.31 to collect $1; at Eastern, Md., $216.42; Albemarle, N. C., $175.21; Somers Point, N. J., $127.86; Brashear, La., $112.40; Saco, Me., $52.70; Rock Island, 111., $44.03; Kennebunk, Me., $33.33; La Crosse, Wis., $26.86; Cedar Keys, Fla., $17.60; Bridgeton, N. J., $15.84, and Newburyport, Mass., $12.86. At twelve customs districts and ports there were no receipts. One of these, Port Jefferson, N. Y., showed an average of two persons employed, but did not report any expenses to be paid from Uncle Sam’s pocket. The other eleven, with the number of persons employed and the cost of maintaining the offices during the year, were: No. of employes. Expenses. Beaufort, N. C.. 2 $1,429.65 Annapolis. 2 963.26 Cape Charles City, Va 3 959.88 Tappahannock, Va... 2 530.00 Natchez, Miss 2 512.00 Paducah, Ky 2 362.00 Cairo, 111.*...1 350.00 Galena, 1111 350.00 Nantucket, Massl 347.00 York, Mel 250.00 Trenton, N. J.... 2 150.00 Assistant Secretary Ryan of the Interior Department says that the Dawes commission had nothing to do with the proposition to annex the Indian Territory to Oklahoma aud to make a State of the combined territories. A story has been circulated to the effect that Gov. Barnes, the Dawes commission, and a number of politicians proposed to combine these two territories and appeal to Congress for annexation. Secretary Ryan said he would not be surprised if the politicians had some such scheme on foot, but he was certain the Dawes commission, which is a Government institution, has no connection with it. Several efforts have been made to give these territories statehood, and legislation of this character was introduced in Congress, but failed to pass. Thousands of people flocked to the grounds which surround the executive mansion to watch the army of children Indulge in their annual sport of egg-rolling. The young and the old, rich and poor, white people and negroes, Chinamen, Japanese, and, perhaps, people of every nation were there. Eggs were cheap, and the street urchins as well as the petted children of fashionable families were well supplied, and only a few of those who live in dire poverty were without fancy colored eggs. This did not rob the latter class of happiness, however, as they stationed themselves at the bottom of the hills and captured the eggs rolled down by those who had been favored by fortune. The representatives of the Cuban Assembly have left Washington utterly disgusted because they were refused official recognition by the President and with the plain way in which Secretary Hay informed them they would not secure an increase In the allowance for paying the Cuban soldiers. The Secretary went further than this, and told the Cubans the Government did not propose to enter into any discussion with them in regard to the matter. One of the objects of investigation by the next Congress will be the transport system of the War Department. Numerous complaints have been made in regard to the service, its cost, and its management. The results are not satisfactory and those who have been transported to distant points have made interesting reports on the subject. President McKinley has decided to resume his walks about the city, which were abandoned at the outbreak of the war, first because of lack of time, and then because of the remonstrances of friends who believed the President should not encourage domestic cranks or foreign enemies to attack him. Now that peace is at hand he will again walk about the streets of Washington. . Ex-Secretary of the Navy William C. Whitney is believed to have been the real sold at Lexington Kv