Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-01-05
vi.
WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES

standards, whose analyses OF govern
ment expenditures l have, already
quoted in these articles. for the fol-
lowing comprehensive survey of how
the taxes YOU pay TO the government
are apportioned in expenditures. Ii
will give you the clearest and best idea
of where your money goes. For his
purpose Doctor Rosa took the actual
appropriations for the fiscal year 1920,
amounting To total OF 50 1850, 005. 700,
as given in the regular supply bills and
three deficiency bills prior 10 May l.,
1920. For convenience he divided the
purposes for which this money was
spent into six groups rs follows:
Group I.-Ohligations arising from
recent and previous wars. including
interest on the public debt, pensions,
war-rsll insurance. rehabilitation and
care of soldiers, deficit in the opera
ton of railways, expenditures of the
shipping board, European food relief
and the bonus j. government employ
ees 10 cover partially the increased
cost of living due TO the war; Il total
Of 1880, 4S2,5SG
Group II.-War and Navy depart
ments-expenses somewhat above u
permanent peace-time basis-$1, 424,
1867.
Group IlI.-Primary governmental
functions. including congress, Presi-
dent and White House staff, courts
and penal establishments. departments
OF justice. state, treasury, interior,
commerce, labor. interstate commerce.
and other commissions, One-half the
District of Columbia, including all the
necessary functions of government
other than defense, except the com
msrcial activities of Group V and the
research, educational and develop
mental work of Group NI-$lS1, OS7,-
30.
Group IV.-Public works, including
rivers and harbors, public buildings,
reclamation service, post roads, ma
tional parks and railway in Alaska
S16s, 203, BOZ
Group V.-Commercial or Self-Sup-
porting activities. including the post
office. land office, Panama canal and
housing corporation, which. taken to-
gether, earn their expenses.
Group NI.-Research, educational
and developmental. including the wide
range of work of the Agricultural de-
partment, geological survey. bureau of
mines, coast and geOdeiic survey, bu-
reau Of standards, bureau of fisheries,
bureau of foreign and domestic com
merce, bureau of labor statistics,
women's and children's bureaus. voca-
tional education, colleges for agricul-
ture and mechanic arts, library of
congress, Smithsonian institution and
the public health Scrvice-$J7, 093 661.
Total groups l to VI-S5,6S6,0 900 706.
Summary. Per
Cent
Group - Expenditures
arising from recent
and previous wars.r 1856. 49,. $500 szsl
Group II-War and Navy
departments ......... 1.424 1SS.S7657 25.O2
Group III-Primary gov
ernmental functions. Isl .oS1 225.41 3l9
Group IN--Public works JOS. 203 jj1 sc 2.91
Group NI-Research, ed
vocational and devel-
opmca;aI .............. s7o9S, $50 SO l.ol
Total .................s5.CSG COS. 7O5 81 1910
The first two groups together
amount to 92.S per cent of the total;
public works amounts to ; per cent,
primary governmental functions 81
per cent. and research. educational
and deyeiopmental work, per cent.
The population Of the country being
about ll0.0OO0O0, the total budget is
about fifty dollars year per capita
of which fifty cents a year per cap
tia is expended for the wide range of
research, educational and develop
mental work incluC<l in Group VI.
THAT is. of the fifty dollars "A year
per capita collected for all purposes
a dollar and half a year per capita"
Doctor Rosa went. on to point out,
twas spent for what is here called
primary functions Of government;
nearly ms much more was put into pub
lie works, and fifty cents a year was
put back into research, educational
and, developmental work. 10 promote
scientific research. to increase produc-
ton and efficiency, 10 develop wealth,
TO pro.ote the public health and TO
conserve our natural resources. That
is very small part of the total
hardly enough TO he regarded as a
burden on the Notion.
Indeed one is led TO wonder
whether the total burden of taxation
would not be lighter If the eXpendi-
ture for scientific and developmental
work were increased; If, for example
Il were one dollar year per capita
instead of fifty cents. In other words,
If s11O,oOO.0OO we're expended annu-
ally for this creative and productive
work. would it not be easier to collect
the five and half billions for other
PURPOSES"
The big money, Of course, goes for
war. past, present and future, and
that is where the saving must be made.
Thirty thousand persons are killed