The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-13


 tical assurance of diminished taxa tion. With enthusiastic resolution. your administrative agents are mak- ing not only conscientious effort to reduce the cost of government far below the appropriations you have already provided.
 It is easy to believe that the only way to diminish the burdens which the people must pay Is to cut the outlay in which public moneys are expended. War is not wholly respon- sible for staggering costs; it has merely accentuated the menace which lies in mounting cost of government and excesses in expenditure which a successful private business would not tolerate.
 Reduction Promised
 I can make you no definite prom ise in figures today, but can pledge you a most conscientious drive to re- duce government cost by many mil lions. It would be most discourag- ing to those who are bending their energies to save millions to have Congress add billions to our burdens at the very beginning.
 Even were there not threatened paralysis of our treasury with it's fatal reflexes on all of our activities which concern our prosperity, would 1t not be better to await the settle ment of our foreign loans? At such a time it would be a bestowa1 on the part of our government when 1t Is able to bestow.
 The United States participates in none of the distributable awards of war, but the world owes us heavily and will pay when restoration is wrought. If the restoration falls. world bankruptcy attends. l believe the world restoration is possible. but only with honest. diligent work in productivity on the one hand, and honest and diligent opposition to needless public expenditure on the other.
 If the suggested recommitment of this measure bore the merest sug gestion of neglect, or a hint of na- tional ingratitude, would not urge it.
 Wants Soldiers Cared for
 It has been my privilege to speak to Congress on our obligations to the disabled and dependent soldiers and the governments deep desire to prove its concern for their welfare, l should be ashamed of the republic If 1t failed in its duty to them. Neither armistice nor permanent peace puts an end to the obligations of govern ment to it's defenders or the obliga- tions of citizens to the government. of these things, the admins trative branch of the government has not only spoken, 1t has acted and has accomplished.
 In view of those things which have been said, and very carelessly said, perhaps l ought to report officially some of the things which have been done. In the departm of war risk insurance there have been filed up to July T, 1921, compensation and in- surance claims numbering S13.442 Of these, 747,7S6 have been adjudicated at an expenditure of s471,e46,762. There were 100000 claims pending when the war risk department was reorganized late in April this year, anad the number of pending claims has been reduced by 134,344.
 Many New Claims
 All work in this department will be current by the twenty-first of this July; that is to say, all action which the bureau may take on given cause becomes current. though new claims are being filed at the rate of TOO per day.
 There have been requested SSI614 medical examinations and less than 14000 await medical action. Up to July z there have been 26,237 dis abled soldiers hospitalized, and in government controlled hospitals to- day there are 5000 available beds without occupants. You are already aware of the progress made toward the construction of additional gov ernment hospitals, not because we are not meeting all demands, but to bet ter meet them and the better to specialize in the treatment of those who come under our care.
 Thousands has been paid ou in allotment and allowances-the sum of $57s. .465, ,65S-and nearly s4.000,- 900 of government insurance Is in force
 Vocational Training
 In vocational training and rehab- ilitation of disabled soldiers there have been enrolle' t, date 107,S24 men. Today there are 75,S12 men who are training with pay at the Eaximum r. cost of s160 per month S,20S training without pay, but at a tuition and supply outlay of $35 per month. Four thousand disabled men have completed their training and have been returned to gainful employment. These earned an aver age of $1,051 per year before enter ing the army and are earning to- day in spite of their war disability and in spite of diminished wage or salary levels, an average of $1,550 per annum.
 It is an interesting revelation and fine experiment attended by both abuses and triumphs. ongress has appropriated 65,o00 900 for this mo- ble work for the current year. but the estimated acceptance of train, i-g for the year before us contem- plates an average of 95.000 disabled men and the cost will be in excess of s163,000,000, or nearly s100.000, 900 more than Congress has provided.
 No Ingratitude
 This additional sum must be made available. With the increase of avail ability to training, as recently urged upon Congress, the estimated addi- tional expenditure will be S484, 4,000, 900 per annum until the plan of training is discharged.
 These figures suggest neither neg lect nor ingratitude. It is more than the entire annual cost of federal gov ernment for many years following the Civil war and challenges every charge of failure to deal considerably with out nations defenders.
 I do not recite the figures to sug- gest that it is all we may do, or what we ought to do. It is inevitable that ultimately our obligations will grow, and grow enormously We never have neglected and never will neglect the dependent soldier and there is no way to avoid times remorseless class ifications.
 Contemplating the' tremendous lia- bility which the government never will shirk. I would be remiss in my