The New York herald., 1921-09-19
HARDING COSTS j. s.
$216,800 IN Year
President Is by Far the Most
Economical Ruler in
the World.
HE is PRUNING BILLS
Saves $2.250 i'm First Three
Months in Allowance for
Travelling.
WHAT ROYALTY COSTS
British King Has Hard Time
to Get Along on $780,
600 a Year.
WHAT ROYALTY COSTS
SPECIAL Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,

SPECIAL Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. g., Sept. 10.
President Warren c. Harding cost
the people OF the United States JUS
"a mills each year, according I,
orhcial reports of the Treasury De
partment. or less than a quarter Of ;
million dollars a year.
King George costs the British EN-
pire $2,500,oo0 a year and is having
trouble making ends meet, ACCORDING
10 report from London.
President Harding probably is tn,
worlds most economical executive
Running expenses of the Presiden
and his office force this year will tota
s2l6.80O. the Treasury Department
records show. This includes $75,00'
for the Presidents salary, $4,000 fo
travelling expenses, $S0,S00 for offic'
expenses and $4,000 for contingencies
And the President is planning to re
duce this total In line with the polio,
Of economy which he has prescribed
for the Government departments.
The cost Of maintaining the President
OF the United States or chairman OF tho
worlds largest corporation. as he some
times Is called, Is shown in n series o.
reports of the Treasury Department
which also makes clear the cost of al
other branches of the Government fol
each resident OF the United States. With
these reports 1t Is possible to determine
the relative cost per capita of Congress
the State Department. the expense ol
maintaining the War and Navy depart
ments. President. the disbursements in
aid of agriculture and the like.
Cuts Travelling Bills.
The President. In line with his
economy programme. already has saved
one-third of his proportion Of travelling
expenses for the first three months OF
the fiscal year For the first three
months of the year the allowance Is
$3.50. Yet the President so far has
spent only $4,000 for travel.
King George. bound by custom and
tradition attendant upon what England
regards as the dignity Of his position
must maintain a score of state coaches
a stable with a squadron of blooded
horses, q garage with inrfumerable motor
cars and neary 100 gro0ins, hostfers
chauffeurs and mechanics. The state
coaches, red and gilt affairs. which re-
5emble the fairy book illustrations ot
the story Of Cinderella. are drawn by
four pairs OF milk white horses, each
ridden by postillion. The cost Of this
travel equipment mounts into thousands
OF pounds annually.
The President OF the United States
maintains two automobiles in which he
and his family and guests ride, a third
automobile for secret service men and
three chauffeurs. The cost OF the Pres
ident's travel equipment is paid out oi
tie contingent fund of $4,000. From
this fund must come all expenditures
for stationery, record books. kilograms
and telephones furniture and carpets
for the executive office and score
OF other items.
What King George Costs.
The household Of the King OF England
includes several hundred persons and
small army of servants. Ladies in
waiting to the Queen and gentlemen OF
the Kings person must receive allow
ances proportionatc to their Importance
of companions of the sovcreigns. They
must be supplied quarters In the palace
ditu cdCb IIlust Nave u peISOHdl SQudu
OF servants. In addition they must be
fed and provided with beverages. This
accounts for a large portion OF the mil
lions which the King is forced to dis
pense each year.
The President of the United States
has one physician in comparison with
an entire medical faculty maintained
by the King. The President has no
official and authorized companions
Senator's and Representatives prove
chummy when he feels lonesome on the
golf links or on a week end cruise.
Their attendance costs nothing.
The President OF the United States has
one secretary. salary $500 a year. and
an Office personnel or forty clerks. mes-
scngers and stenographers. The payroll
for the lot is less than the payroll OF
most Government bureaus. Correspond
ingly the King of England has a group
OF SECRETARIES and a long list OF ma sters
of the household. One has entire Charge
If and gives his entire time to keeping
well stocked the royal wine cellar tina I
10 reported TO include more than t.000,-
600 bottles. There is a poet -apreate,
part of whose compensation Is ono keg
of ale year. There is master OF the
horse and n master of the Kings ward
robe and mistress OF the same for the
Queen.
Congress. now trying to reduce all
Government expenses, cost the nation
just eighteen cents a resident In tho
fiscal year just ended. Three other de-
partments were able to get through the
year though spending less than the iegis-
lators. They were the State Department
IN which Secretary Hughes held the per
capita expense TO eight cents: Justice
Department, sixteen cents, and Labor
Department. eight cents.
The Treasury Department, where econ
on1y also is much emphasized. ran UP its
per capita cost to s4.65. Only two other
departments found II necessary to spend
more. One was the War Department,
which spent si050 for every resident OF
the United States. or more than any
other branch Of the Government Presi-
dent Harding and Budget Director Dawes
now arc trying to cut expenditures OF the
War Department s75,00o.00o this year
Tho second department which outdid the
Treasury was the Navy. where the cost
was 1919 per resident OF tho United
states.
Interest on the public debt Of s23, ,Ooo.-
900 cost s9.5f for every resident or
the country. Payments TO the railroads
as a result of wartime operation cost
ss.e6.
Secretary tIoovors Department Or
Commerce cost so cents a resident
FOR the year. and the Post Office. pre-
sided over by WIN Hays, sl.2S. To as.
sist the nations farmers. si.14 was ea-
pended per capita by the Agriculture De-
partment. The Interior Department, de-
spite the vast irrigation projects, held
down the cost TO s3.4o. The United
states Shipping BOARD which 70 rup-