The New York herald., 1921-05-31
efinite APPROPRIATIONS.

lied by indefinite appropriations, re-
appropriations and revolving funds.
These three kinds OF appropriations.
which do not appear in the regular list,
have come into vogue only In the last
two years. They are the worst kind OF
subterfuge, because they fool 'hc public
and they fool many Legislators. II has
become the practice for different depart
ments when they fail TO get all the
money they want in the regular appro-
priations. 10 look up some unexpended
balance and ask authority 10 have this
transferred TO the purpose for which
the regular appropriation was refused.
This is what is called a reappropriation.
Indefinite appropriations and revolving
funds are also the source Of much ex-
travagance because they are not sub
ject to supervision and the departments
to which they are granted are at liberty
TO spend as much as they wish and the
Treasury Is bound to honor their de-
mands
HALF Billion Is Reappropriated.
According to law unexpended bal
ances should revert TO the Treasury
after lapse Of ono year. But in the
present fiscal year, as items cited below
show. appropriations have cost the
Government S541 900 900, and further
on It viii be shown that indefinite re-
appropra tions and revolving funds cost
an additional 10000, 900.
Reappropriation 1920 balance ac-
count Of registration and selec-
;icn for military sevvce........ 500 900
QuarteIma ster's balance. reap
propriated TO bald infantry
school in Georgia a............. 900 900
TttsAn ~. nan tFt.4Nf. H.I hal
from year 1918. reapproprated
70 pay 1927 contract claima. H.. 1915 ,969
Military and naval compensation
for 1921 Observation-Disclosures. 25.ooo, 900
Fortficatons balance. reappropri-
ated from 1920 for storage facil
i,ies in 1921 observation-disclosures. 5000, 900
Chemical warfare balance of 1912.
reappropriated for 1921. I......... 1000. 900
QuaItermasters balance from
sales OF supplies In 1920, funds
10 be available in 1921. ......... 30, I93, ,9o3
Marine Corps reapDropriation, 5000, 900
Additional Marine Corps reappro-
priation ........................ 5000. 900
Naval supply balances previous
years ...................... ia, 600. 900
Additional naval supply reappro-
pration ...,................. 80. 900 900
Total ....................... .s541 ,T34. .s,3
The above table. which was compiled
by Representative Byrnes of South Car
olina with the help Of the Treasury.
TtdDDrODlldIlOlS.
Such items are scattered through de-
partmental expenditures and can not he
segregated at all in many instances from
the allowances made by Congress In the
regular way.
The outstanding instance of an indefi-
mite appropriation, and how it may sweil
Government expenditures without in
creasing the actual appropriations in the
regular bills, is the section of the Trans
portation act of 1920 which authorizes
the Treasury to pay whatever is neces-
sary to meet the requirements of the act.
This, according to the estimate OF the
Secretary of the Treasury. will cost the
Government $500. 100000 this year and
S545.000, 600 next year. This is only one
Of the indefinite appropriations. Like
reappropriations. it is only in rare cases
that the funds from such expenditures
can be traced. but they account for a
large share of the difference between the
actual appropriations by Congress and
the expenditures by the departments.
Examples of revolving funds are those
granted 10 the Railroad Administration
for Federal operation and which cost the
Government s53.000000 last year. The
Emergency Fleet Corporation also had
a revolving fund which accounted TO,
| S225 900, 900 of expenditures not in tne
regular appropriations.
The burden of these figures. showing
more than $1,000 900, 900 of expenditures
authorized under what might be called
Invisible" appropriations is not to show
| that the Government ought to break its
contracts or to pay its debts. But what
| they do show Is that while the public
was having the wool pulled over its eyes
by legislators who we're supposed to be
cutting appropriations right and left, the
departmental spenders were out hunting
for a means to thwart economy and get
! Congress to authorize expenditures as
| high as the previous year when the ex-
! travagance of the Government was no
| torious. And the departmental spenders
did not hunt in vain.
1 If there had been no revolving funds.
indefinite appropriations or reappropria-
tions in the last fiscal year the Govern
ment would not have escaped meeting
| its honest obligations. but II is the
opinion of authorities on Government
| finance that IL instead of reappropria-
| tions Congress had been forced to grant
regular appropriations or none at all. the
discussion of items included In the
| S541 100000 appropriations would
| likely have resulted in proving them un-
necessary and practically the whole
/ amount would have been saved. As no
| specific limitations are laid on reappro-
prations, indefinite appropriations and
revolving funds. it is not surprising that
| disbursements under these heads entirely
mipe out the difference between what
Congress ostensibly appropriate and
what the Government spends, thus stulti-
I, flying all the talk about economy.
| There Is, Of course. only one way to
put Congress and the departments Of
4 the Government beyond temptation TO
disguise expenditures, and that is to
adopt the budget system But the budget
system can not go into effect In this
country until the fiscal year 1928. Mean
while, by keeping an eye on the fiscal
year 1922 appropriations OF Congress as
q minimum of what could be spent, and
/ Secretary MELONS estimates of what
| likely will be spent, and remembering
| that Mr.. Melons estimate of s4,5so.S7I.-
033 Is practically what the Democratic
\ Secretary Of the Treasury was criticised
| for asking Congress to provide. II will
b. possible u discern what kind OF
economy Is being practiced BY the Gov
1 ernment
HUNGARIAN JEWS URGE