Milford chronicle., 1921-12-09


tary of the treasury submitted to con-
gress in December, 1920, he remarks:
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 as
bursements of Sc, ,4O3, 100000 about 80 per
cent consisted of expenditures under the
following heads:
Purchase of obligations of for
eign governments .............S 42l'OOO'OW
War department ................. l,6ll,OVO'COO
Navy department ................ lS0'OoO'VOO
SHINING hoard ............. 5Sl,GO0O00
Federal control of transporta-
ton systems and payments
to the railroads under the
transportation act, 1920 ....... lO5IOOOOOO
Interest on the public debt..... l,O2O'OOoVOo
Pensions .......................... 213OOOOOO
War-risk insurance ............. lI1'VOOOVo
bonds br Tli.,'' " -o1o.', 10000, 900
Total ....................''.'..' 'S0i ilo'VVU'VVO
Substantially all the expenditures
entering into this total, and large
share of the expenditures on various
minor accounts, represent burdens di-
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 l 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
gance in the executive departments.
without doubt there has been waste and
inefficiency in the various government de-
partments and adjustments, and much
can be accomplished, and has already
been accomplished, by the Introduction
of efficient and economic methods of ad-
ministration and the elimination OF du-
plication and unnecessary work. 1t might
well be possible to save as much as
$50. 900, 900 or $4,000 600 by careful and sci
entitic reorganization of the governments
business.
The figures show that over 80 per
cent of the total annual expenditures
of the government are related to war
Out of total expenditures during 1920 or
about Sc, 100000, about 51z billions rep
resented expenditures directly traceable
to the war, to past wars, or to prepared
ness for future wars. Of this, about
50. 500, 100000 went for the army and navy,
over S5OO,OOOOOO for the shipping board,
over s., coo, 100000 for the railroads. another
81, 900, 100000 for interest on the public DEBT
almost $780, 100000 for purchase of obllSa-
tions of foreign governments on account
of their war expenditures, and the remain
der for pensions, war risk allotments ana
miscellaneous items related to war. An
analysis of the expenditures of the first
six months of the fiscal year l92l gives
similar results. The figures also snow
that the total cost of running what may
be termed the civil establishment proper,
that is to say, the various government
deDartments, boards and commissions ana
the legislative establishment, have not
much exceeded $3.50, 100000 even in the abb
normal war years.
| sought details. If more than 80
per 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-
racy? We are all familiar with the
argument that the best way to prevent
war is to be prepared for war. l
thought might find out whether that
was true. l went back into the rec
Ords and found that year by year,
from 1884 to 1919 inclusive, the treas
ury department had kept an account
of the actual disbursements-not ap-
propriatiOns mind you, but actual
money expended-of the War depart
ment. the Navy department and for
pensions. When l got all the figures
| before me 1 couldn't add them up
In the bureau of internal revenue
4 they loaned me a machine and an
operator, and so I know and can tell
YOU that from 1884 to and through
1919 the War Department actually dis
1ursed S23,O02, 800, O,OOS.65. In the same
periOd the Navy Department spent
S69O7, 1863, 9,O32.S4; and pensioners Of
past wars got S5,634,079,694.23.
That is a laundering total of $29,-
9O9. .759,O41.49 for the army and navy
alone. leaving out of account the
So, ,634, ,O79, ,694.23 for pensions.
will let you decide whether any
part of the twenty-nine billion dollars
spent for preparedness and for war
prevented our going to war or found
us prepared when we went to war
The three items l have enumerated
are only ribs of the skeleton of the
cost of war preparation and activity
| have not been able to eXcavate any
other detail figures. But it is known
that the war of 1912 cost about $133.
7O3, $50.
The cost of the Mexican war is esti
mated to have been S63605,G21.
The total cost of the Civil war, tax
ing the period from June go 1861, tC
June 80, 1866, may be figured closely
at S3,5OO,OOO,000.
The treasury in the winter of 1920
Il estimated in a report sent to con
yress through the secretary that tn
cost of the World war to us to tina
date had been $24,1OO,OOO,OOO, exclu
sive of our loans to the allies ant
, other foreign nations.
So you see the cost of wars is &c
ing up, no matter how much none
We spend by way CT preparation