The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-04-03
NATIONS MARCH
BILLS AGAIN RUN
$15,O0O,OOO DAILY
Sums Paid Railways End
Progressive Decline From
September.
TOTAL IS $536,476,36O
Expenditures for 1921 Will
Run Billion Under Last
Fiscal Year.
WAR BILLS STILL HEAVY
Administration Striving to
Bring Totals at Least Near
War Time Figures.
SSsosaI Despatch to THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington. ID. O.. April 2,


New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c.. April 2.
Government expenditures during
March. the first month of Republican
control, aggregated 1886, 476,360, the
largest monthly total since March last
year, which was a little more than
a million dollars greater. general
comparative review prepared by THE
NEW YORK HERALD and printed Sep
TENDER % last, showed expenditures
at that time running at the rate OF
$15,000,00 a day, but indicated pro-
gressive monthly decline in outlay by
the Treasury. This decline continued
until last month. when the rate again
jumped to the 100000.
Last September the aggregate of
ordinary disbursements by the Treas
ury was s496,776,655. In October it
dropped to s42s.497,372. In November
It was nearly the same as October. or
1926, 092,313. The outlay for December
dropped to s4o4,575,o91; January to
$3ss,17s.272, and February to $751;
10000.
The March total is abnormal because
of the large sum paid out on account
Of Government control over railroads.
This reached $50, 900. In addition,
public debt disbursements were nearly
$1,000, 000, 900, but these were offset by
public debt receipts OF 1891, 100000
With payments to the railways in
cluded in the March disbursements, the
rate of Government expenditures was
above $40, 000, 900 a day, as compared
with something like $4,000 a day be-
fore the European war started. when the
country was excited over billion dollar
Congresses and economy was promised
by the Democrats.
War Bills sim High.
War expenditures apparently are still
running at a lively rate and II is this
fact which is squirting Congress and the
President to efforts for immediate re-
organization of the Government which
will bring greater economy and greater
efficiency.
A sharp shrinkage in the so-called
ordinary expenditures Of Government
win be brought when back payments
due to the railways are caught up.
These payments were forestalled during
the last days of the last Administration
by a decision by Comptroller OF the
Treasury Warwick which held that
moneys due TO the carriers could not
be paid under the wording OF the law
unless final certiication of amounts due
were made by the Interstate Commerce
Commission. This decision tied up some-
thing like 100000. 900. hut a month ago
Congress passed the Winslow bill pro-
viding for payments upon certificaton
By the Interstate Commerce Commission
OF amounts known to be not In excess
Of those due This provision caused the
jump in ordinary expenditures OF the
Government from 1851. 100000 in Feb
ruary to above 1886. 100000 in March.
Even the latter figure does not rep
resent the entire total of Government
expenditures for the month or the real
aggregate of the cost OF Government
Because of legislation establishing re-
volving funds and providing for the
reimbursement OF appropriations the
gross expenditures In the case of some
departments and agencies, notably the
War Department, the Railroad Admins
tration and the Shipping Board, have
been considerably larger than is shown
by the figures on Treasury expenditures.
The Shipping Board appropriation. for
instance. was cut 5000. 100000. and the
board was authorized to use funds re-
ceived from shipping operations and
from salvage and the sale of ships to
meet its expenditures and carry forward
its programme.
Billion Less In Year.
Despite the large total OF the March
bill presented to Uncle Sam expenditures
for the current fiscal year are running
more than a billion dollars under those
for the last fiscal year. For this fiscal
year from July last to March 81 the
aggregate OF ordinary disbursements
shown by the Treasury Is s3,7S4,0 600, 900.
For the came period Last year the total
was s5.02s. 900, 900. The principal saw