The Dolores star., 1921-12-16

Federal control Of transporta-
ton systems and payments
to the railroads under the
transportation act, 1890 ..... ,037 .0oo. 90
Interest OH the public debt w ,Oa0. .Coo. 90
lensions Observation-Disclosures. 2l3.0OO. go
War-risk Insurance .......... ll7UOO1o
Purchase of federal farm-loan
bonds ............................ 1900. 600
Total ............................ 7l6. 600. GO
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 | 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 inefticiency and extrava-
sance in the executive departments
Without doubt there has been waste and
inefticiency in the various government de-
partments and establishments. 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. It might
well be possible to save as much as
100000 or SloO,0oo.0o0 by careful and SCI
entific reorganization OF the governments
business
The figures show that over 20 per
cent OF the total annual expenditures
of the government are related to war.
Out OF total expenditures during 1890 of
about 81. 6.io0,o0O,opo, about 5la billions rep
resented expenditures directly traceable
to the war, to past wars. or to prepared
ness for future wars. OF this. about
$500 oo.ooo went for the army and navy.
over 100000 for the shipping board.
over 81, 900 10000 for the railroads, another
81 900. 10000 for interest on the public debt,
almost 100000 for purchase of obliga-
tions OF foreign governments on account
OF their war expenditures, and the remain
der for pensions. war risk allotments and
miscellaneous items related to war. An
analysis OF the expenditures of the first
six months of the fiscal year 1921 gives
similar results. The figures also show
that the total cost of running what may
be termed the civil establishment proper,
that is to say. the various government
departments. boards and commissions and
the legislative establishment, have not
normal war years.
/ sought details. If more than 30
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 I got all the figures
before me I couldn't add them up.
In the bureau of internal revenue
they loaned me a machine and an
operator, and so l know and can tell
YOU that from 1884 to and through
1919 the War Department actually dis
bursed S23OO2, 800, ,OOs.65. In the same
period the Navy Department spent
SC, ,9O7, 1863, ,O32s4; and pensioners of
past wars got $5.634, ,O79,694.23.
That is laundering total of $29,-
9O9. 759, ,O41 40 for the army and navy
alone, leaving out of account the
S., ,634, ,O79,694.23 for pensions.
l will let you decide whether any
part of the twenty-nine billion dollars
spent for preparedness and for war
preyented 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
tbot the war of 1912 cost about $133,-
7O3,SS0.
The cost of the Mexican war is esti-
mated to have been S63,605,621.
The total cost of the Civil war, TAX
ing the period from June 30, 1861, to
lime 30, 1866, may be figured closely
at S3,5OO,OOO,000.
The treasury In the winter of 192o-
81 estimated in report sent to con-
press through the secretary that the
cost of the World war to us to that
date had been $24,100,OOO,OOO. exclu-
sive of our loans to the allies and
other foreign nations.
So you see the cost of wars Is go