Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-01-20

following heads:
Purchase of obligations of for
eign governments .............$ 421, 0O0, 900
War department ................. 1611 600 coo
Navy department ....,........... $4,000. 900
Shipping board ......A......... 53l 600 COS
Federal control of transporta-
ton systems and payments
to the railroads under the
transportation act 1920 800. ], O37 900 900
Interest on the public debit. 1,020 900 900
Pensions .......................... 2130O0, 900
War-risk insurance .......... 1l7O0OOO
Purchase of federal fan m-loan
bonds Recommendation. $1,000. 900
Total IS, 716 OOO, 900
Substantially all the expenditures
entering into this total, and a 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 inefFiciency and extrava-
gance In the executive departments.
Without doubt there has been waste and
ineff1ciency 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. 1t might
xl~aI 10 10
%0,O0O,0O0 or sl00,0OO,O00 by careful and sci
entific 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 of
about $500, 100000. about 54 billions rep
resented expenditures directly traceabIe
70 the war to past wars or to prepared
pess for future wars. OF this, about
$25o00Oo,000 went for the army and navy,
over $5Q0000,000 for the shipping board,
over 81, OO0, 100000 for the railroads, another
A000000,000 for interest on the public debt,
almost $500, 900 for purchase of obliga-
tons of aforeign 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
Simiar results. The figures also show
that the total cost of running what may
he termed the civil establishment proper,
that is to say the various government
departments, boards and commissions and
the legislative establishment, have not
much exceeded $3.50, 10000 even in the ab-
normal war years.
l sought details. If more than 90
per cent of the entire disbursements
at 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.
thought / might find out whether that
vas true. l went back into the rec
ords and found that year by year.
from 1884 to 1919 inclusive, the treas
rry department had kept an account
ct the actual disbursements-not APP
Preparations, mind you, but actual
money expended-of the War depart
faent, the Navy department and for
pensions. When l got all the figures
before me / couldn't add them up.
In the bureau of internal revenue
they loaned me a machine and an
operator, and so / know and can tell
you that from 1884 to and through
1919 the War Department actually dis
fursed $4,000 800, O0S65. In the same
period the Navy Department spent
S6,907, 1863, 032.84 and pensioners Of
past wars got $5,634, 079, 694.23.
That is a laundering total of $29,-
9O9,759,041.49 for the army and navy
Eione, leaving out of account the
S5,634,079, 694.23 for pensions.
/ win 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.
Inc three items I have enumerated
are only ribs of the skeleton of the
cost of war preparaCloc and activity.
have not been able 70 excavste any
other detail figures. But it is known
tHat the war Of 1912 cost about $780,
103 $50.
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 80, 1861, tn
June 80, 1866, may be figured closely
at $3,500O00,00O.
The treasury in the winter of 1920
Il estimated in a report sent to con-
Gress through the secretary that the
cost Of the World war to us to that
date had been S24,1O0,OO0000, exclu-
SlVe IF cur loans to the allies and
other foreign nations.
So you see the cost of wars is go
INC up no matter s1ow much money
We spend by way Of preparation