The Washington herald., 1920-01-23

BOARD, URGES
sen. M'CUMBER
Also Favors> Cutting Sol
dier's S Benefits to Cur
tail Expenditures.
BOND ISSUE OTHERWISE
Declares Reductions Rec
ommended Would Save '
Country Billions.

Abolition of the Shipping Board.
the system of vocational training
, for wounded soldiers and numerous
other agencies of the government
was recommended by Senator NC
Cumber. of North Dakota. in the
Senate yesterday as the only
method by which the government
could be spared from an enormous
defcit in revenues at the close OF
the present fiscal year.
Senator McCumber declared that
unless radical steps along this line
are taken, further bond issues will
be necessary or the permanent in
debtedness of the nation will have
to be increased by S3.ooo.0OO,o0O.
Real economy. the Senator said.
cannot be accomplished by the
pruning of appropriations by sepa-
rate committees working independ-
entity. He declared there must be
= general policy of saving money
and cutting on all useless expendi-
lures.
Pointing out that the fiscal year
beginning July l, 1891. will start
out with a deficit Of more than
$4,000. 100000. Senator. Mccumber
showed that the estimated expendi-
lures in the present book of esti-
mates propose a total of not less
than $4,000. 900. .OOe. This would mske
the total expenses for the fiscSi
year. in round numbers. $1,000. 600, =
900.
sa.eoo.eoo.ooo Deaeit.
The Senator continued:
Where will we obtain the cash
to meet this demand: Again we turn
to the book OF estimates for con-
tempIated revenues. Including a re-
turn of 100000. 900 of capital stock
of the Grain Corporation. the esti'
mated revenues. in round numbers.
total $4,000. 900. 900. Assuming THAI
we shall collect all this sum-and
doubt very ntCSh that We can
we would still have a deficit of about
$4,000. 900. 600.
That means one OF two things:
We must either reduce these esti-
mated expenditures $4,000, 100000 or
we must sell bonds and increase our
permanent Indebtedness"
Among the conspicuous increases,
Senator McCumber cited the Fuller
pension bill, not in the estimates.
which carries s75.0Oo.OOO: the Sweet
bill, increasing the compensation of
wounded soldiers sS0,000.000, and
the Senate amendment to the water
power bill which carries an appro-
priation of s25.000.O0O.
Would Drop shipping Board.
Senator McCumber presented
tablS showing that the estimates
for the various departments for
1891 totalIed S4,S65.410.031. as
against s1.0s4.16s.1o2 for 1915. He
said that in computing the estI-
mates for 1921 he did not include
the $500. .0o0, 900 due the railroads.
nor the ssO.000,000 carried by the
Sweet bill. the s25.000.00O in the
water power bill. nor the s75,00O.-
900 in the Fuller pension bill.
The Senator asserted 100000, 900
could be saved by the Treasury De-
partment alone, s470.00O.000 by the
abolition of the shipping board,
500. 100000 in the War Department
$500, 100000 in the Navy Depart
ment. s75.00o.000 by eliminating the
expenditure for good roads, S140,-
100000 on public works, and $780,
100000 by dispensing with about
$4,000 clerks in various deparl-
ments-
A recapitulation of the most i'm
portant deductions. he said, would
show a saving of 1880, 900, 900, and
with careful reduction along other
lines indicated we could easily
bring about total reduction of
s2,250. .000, 900.