The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-05
HALF BILLION
CUT FROM u. S.
1923 BUDGET
Congress Gets Figures
IN Message From
Harding.

Washington, Dec. 5.-The Sixty
seventh congress convened at noon
today for it's first regular session
this morning.
Ten days only had elapsed since
the adjournment of the extra ses-
sion and it generally was predicted
that the session convening today
would not end until well into next
summer.
Washington, Dec. 5.-A federal
budget for the fiscal year 1923 ap-
proximately $500 900 900 below the
four billion dollar figure, which
had been estimated some time ago
as the minimum of government ex-
pendItures for several years 20
come, faced congress when it re-
convened today.
Includes Postal Deficit.
The exact figures, as prepared by
the newly created budget bureau
and transmitted by President Har-
DING in special message, were
$5,ooO, ,145,727 including an estimat-
ed deficit of $21, ,5O9,666 in the
operations of the postal service.
Ihls total repre-: ents a decrease
Of 1852, ,167 ,639 from the S3,967.922.-
366 estimated expenditures for the
current fiscal year and 5000. .2S5.-
962 from the actual expenditures in
the fiscal year 1921. 1t is. however.
$167 ,571 ,977 in excess of the esti-
mated receipts of $3,33S.I82,75O,
while the outgo for the current
fiscal year exceeded the estimated
receipts of $3,943, ,453 ,663 by $24,-
46S,7O3.
adjust Without Added Tax
referring to the apparent deficit
for 1928, President Harding wrote
congress that ways are provided
for the relative easy adjustment
without added taxation" of the dis
crepancy between the income and
outgo. As one means he recon-
mended legislation directing the
reduction Of the accumulated naval
supply account by $100, 100000.
The largest single item in the
budget is the fund for the interest
on the public debt, the 1915, 600, ,OOr
provided lacking only S25, 600. .OOC
OF the total expense of the federal
establishment before the World
war. In addition there is an esti-
mate of 1865, ,33S, 500 for the wal
debt sinking fund.
Air Service Gets Money.
Included in the total for the army
and navy is S31 .964 400 for deveIop-
ment and maintenance of the ali
service of the two pa-tments, div
ided $16,195,000 for the navv and
$14 ,964 400 for the army. These
compare with expenditures this
year of $15. 900 and $l9I59. 700
respectively.
Inc navy estimates carry an iteD,
Of $99.19S,O0O for continuing con.
structiOn on the 1916 building pro.
gram as compared to $I42, As. .0OC
for this year. Navy pay calls for
$l46,754 900, an increase of $40.
! 000,0 900.
Pay, mileage. etc, FOR the arm,
Is the largest item in the war de
partment budget, the figure beins
s. "a, ,44S,400 For the natfona
guard an expenditure of $28.946. 6Oi
is estimated.
Public Works.
Expenditures on public work.
under the war department are CIV
en- as $57. .943,900, including s44
/ 245,400 for rivers and harbors. a,
compared with $29,S50,0O0 for tn
} current year
/ Included in the $455, ,232. .702 esti
/ mate for the Veterans bureau ar
/ these items:
Military and naval compensation
| S16O, 1000, 900; military and naval in
/ surance, $62,7I3000: vocational re
/ habilitation, S127,0O0.000: medjca
and hospital service, $72. 900 900 an,
| salaries and expenses, S26, 6,521.702.
Prohibition.
For prohibition enforcement tn
budget bureau estimates $4,000, ,00C
an increase of $2,500,000 over thi
/ year. Expenses of the internal rev
| enue bureau are placed at SOC ,206,
I 100 as compared with s58,032, ~
for this year.
! Estimates for Independent agen
cies include:
! Federal trade mission, S948,5 500
/ interstate commerce commission
! S4,995,240; housing corporation, 81.
267,453. railroad labor board, $39S.
$50; alien property custodian, $3.50.
I 4S0; civil service commission, $685..
| 595, and employees compensation
commission and compensation fund
S2,79S. 600
/ While the railroad administration
and the transportation act are ex
pected to cost the government 1887.
{ 619,235 in 1922, no estimate of ex
+ penditures for these purposes TO
1923 was included in the budget
! Experts explained that it was no
/ possible to make an accurate esti
mate of what would be needed 70
the carriers until after the result
Of the 1922 railroad financing ar,
f known