Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1921-12-23

An analysis OF government expenditures
for the fiscal year 1920 on the basis of
daily treasury statements. develops the
striking fact that of the net ordinary dis
bursements Of $50 5000 about " per
cent consisted of expenditures under the
following heads:
Purchase of obligations OF for
eign governments .............S 42l.0O,0Oo
War department ................. 1911 10000
Navy department ................ 736.0O0,000
Shipping board .................. 63l.0U0.0Oo
FEDERAL control of transporta-
tion systems and payments
to the railroads under the
transportation act. 1920 ....... 1.0S7, 100000
Interest on the public debt..... 900
Pes ons ........................ 2l3OOO,00o
War-rlsk insurance ............. 1l7.OOO.00O
Purchase of federal farm-loan
bonds ........................... 5000 900
Total ........................... 49, 1000
Substantially all the expenditures
entering into this total, and large
share of the expenditures on various
minor accounts, represent burdens d.
rectly traceable to the war, to past
wars or to preparedness for future
wars. These figures serve to indicate
the direction which sincere efforts to
reduce The cost of the government
must take.
Then found Mr.. Gilbert, the under
secretary Of the treasury, saying:
There has been much idle talk to the
effect that the excessive cost of govern
ment is due to inetficiency and extrava-
!" tne L"'.
Witnou' uouo' there mas oeeh ""Sle anu
tneHciehcy III the various government ue
partments and estaolishments' ana much
can oe accomplished ana mas aHcany
been accomplished by the introduction
,.a,so,io,, anu ns ,h. n,ir,ina,ton % Of du-
plication and unnecessary work. II might
well be possible to save as much as
100000 or 3loo'~c"o by careful ana SCI
sm.,no.s e s'o" u '''e e'' e' "'"e"'
The figures show that over 80 per
cent of the total annual expenditures
Of the government are related 70 ,oo" waI:
.no,,t ss soo aoo M ahon, sn hiIlions rem.
resented expenditures directly traceabls
to the war to past wars. or to prepared
ness ior future wars VI this. ABOUT
49, .;n' Uoo o0n ,or the shinn,nn hoard
over 81 90. .OOo.O 900 for the railroads. another
n.ooO'ooo,0o for interest on the public debt
almost '|DNvU" $1,000, lor - purenase Oh nsat ooIsa
of their war expenditures, and the remain
der for pensions. war risk allotments and
miscellaneous Items related TO war An An
six months Of the fiscal year 1921 gives
similar results. The figures also show
that the total cost OF iunning what may
,h,t ts 10 tm" az e th. varionn Snws1nmsnt
departments boards and commissions and
the Legislative establishment, have not
n.t urn e%Seeueu Gee 49,. t"'''" eve" III inc ~'
I sought details. II more than 90
ner cent of the entire disbursements
of 1920 went for past and prospective
wars. how much had we been spend.
ing to keep the world safe for democ.
racv3 We ure all familiar with the
argument that the best way to prevent
war is to he prepared for war. !
thought l might find out whether that
was true. | went back into the rec.
ords and found that wear nv wear,
from 1894 to 1919 inclusive, the treas
ury department had kept an accoun,
Of the actual disbursements-not ap-
Dropriations mind YOU, but sctual
money expended-of the War depart
ment, the Navy department and fos
Densions. When I got all the figures
before me couldn't add them up
In the bureau of internal revenue
thew loaned me a machine end az
operator. and SO I know and can tell
YOU that from 1884 to and through
1919 the War Department actually dis
bursed s23,OO2 800, ,OOs. 1856. In the sam.
period the Navy Department spen
saqO7 869, ,O32. "a; and pensioners o.
mast wars got S5,834 O79 694.2s.
That is a laundering total Of SO,
SOe, 1853, ,O4l.49 for the army and nav
alone, leaving out OF account tn.
SS,8Sl, ,O79 694.23 for pensions.
will let you decide whether an,