Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-24

600. The reduction in the estimate of
the Navy Department for the expenses
of the year ending June so, 1911 also
amounted to $40, 600, 600. The reduction
in the Interior Department of estimated
expenses for 1911 below the a~ppropria-
tons for 1910 amounted to $4,000, 900.
The reduction in the Treasury and In
the Postoffice departments made up the
balance of the $4e, 0o0, 900.
Speaking with reference 70 the army
and the navy it should be said that
the reductions were not In what may
be called the permanent expenses OF
the department. but were rather In cut
ting down proposed inprovem MS.
which. II the plans of the departments
arc properly carried out, must some
time be met. In other words. it is Il
postponefnent only Of expenditures that
are necessary until the income shall be
sufficient to meet them.
Let US take the War Department.
There was a very considerable cut in
tile expenditures needed 10 complete
with modern, appliances the coast de-
lenses ON the Pacific and the Atlantic
scaboard. Th6re is needed at the mouth
OF Chesapeake Bay, between Cape
ElNIlTE anu &dBt eilAIlFb. La dtlliiNisAi
island upon the so-called' middle
ground which shall command the en-
trance to ChesG cake Bay. Chesapeake
Gay is the most important body OF
water from a strategic naval stand
point upon the whole Atlantic coast
and it must be defended.
Honolulu as Naval Base.
80. too, we have now determined
that the great naval base OF the Pacific
Tor Us Is IL he Pearl Harbor. near
honolulu, For years there was discus
sioa az to whether we ought to make
the naval base at Subig Bay OF at
Cavite, in Manila Bay. In the Philip
pines. BY unanimous consent of naval
and military authorities. 1t Is now con-
Guided that we do not need a naval
base in tine Philippines nj all; that we
ought 10 make Corrigedor Island, ct the
mouth OF Manila BAY. i~mpregnable. es-
tablish u naval supply station In Subig
Bay, but rely upon the Sandwich
Islands as our base. This will all in
but for the present the amount proe
posed ID comparatively small.
= In the naval expenditures we have
ibtbt'ANN - "a ftSlVtl W. NMO DdLltGSllRo
of the large aa5,b00-ton capacity, and we
nave doae this on the ground that until
the Panama Canal is competed we
ought to go on and add TO our naval
strength. The Panama Canal will GER
tainly be completed In 1916, and If we
AVE two battleships a year until that
TINA the opening OF the canal will SO
double the. efflcacy of our navy fer the
protection OF our Paeinc and Atlantic
coast that we can then abate and re-
duce1our expenditures In. new constyuc-
ton.
THE reductions In the Treasury De-
pertinent were, / think. moro OF them
IN the administration than in the ex-
penditure for improvements, and tilis
was also the case In the P~ostoflce De-
parttnent. r
THE reduction In The Interior De-
p%artmrent was, $4,000, 600 of 1t, due to a
reduction OF the amount of pensions
to be paid out. and we may. reasonably
hope that as the years now go on this
amount will gradually be reduced.
''On the other hand. there are GER
tain OF our departments, to wit, tile
Agricultural Department, with it's for
estry bureau; the War Department.
inso far as it Ii a constructive depart.
ment for the Improvement of rivers;
the Department of Commerce and
Labor, including at 1t ought. It seems
to me, a bureau of health, which, as
the opportunities for lettering the con-
dition OF the people by governmental
investigation increase, grow in Inn
portancc and in cost, and we ought
not to expect a reduction either in the
expenses growing out OF u conserva-
tiolI OF our resourees.
No "Biiiion-DoiIar-s Congress.
For some time it has been said that
we have billion dollar Congresses. The
statement in itself is an unjust ono,
because II Is generally construed 70
mean that the total expense of the
departments to be paid u OF taxation
amounts TO a billion dollars u year.
This is quite an error, for the reason
that in making up the billion dollars
the expenses for the Postoftcc Depurt-
inent are always included, whereas the
expenses OF the Postofiice Department
are not paid for out of the proceeds OF
taxes. They are paid for out oil the
receipts OF that department from the
sale OF stamps, with the exception OF
tftoUV,VUU, Willcli WuS tHG SAcS5S OF lIic
cost Of the Postoaice Departemnt last
year over it's receipts. This, therefore,
reduces the cost by taxation of the
government each year to something
like $3.50 coo, 900.
ut Is now proposed to appoint q Con-
eressionai Commission to look into the
question OF o general reorganization of
the departments of government, With
q view TO reducing the expense OF adj
minlsterlng the government. l think
/ have already made clear the distinc-
ton between those expenditures OF the
government that go into permanent i'm
provements and that may be reduced
ono year and must he increased an
other. and tho actual routine cost of
administration. A. reduction In the
cost of proposed improvements ~ not
an elimination of them, but merely a
postnonement OF them; whereas a re-
ouction In tho cost OF administration
would be a bernarent economy that. OF
courge, on that account becomes most
important.
1T has been stated on tho door OF the
Senate that II will be possible by this
commission TO reduce ths cost Of ad-
ulnisterins the government 0 0,00o.6on
q year, and that 81 free hand were
given 20 u business mar tho reduction
IN the cxpenso OK administration roight
DO. doubled or tripied. I ana unable 10
confirm fhene at2tafneuts "a TO exact