Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1922-08-04
Senator Overman Shows Increased
Expenses Under Harding.

Three years after the war ii is costing
over a half billion dollars more-or $780,
100000 more, to be exact-for the legiti-
mate expenses of the government under
President Harding than it cost three years
before the war for the legitimate expenses
of the government under President Wilson.
This fact is set forth in minute detail
by Senator Lee 0verman, Of North Caro-
lima, in public statement. Senator Over
man is the ranking minority member Of
the Senate Appropriations Committee, and
his purpose in issuing the statement is to
Tefute the distorted and untruthful state
ments sent out by Republican propaean-
dists of alleged great savings and econo-
mics of the Harding administration. These
statements are wilfully mendacious and
are designed not to inform the public, but
to deceive it, to fool it. to try to make a
monkey of the average citizen who has
not the time or inclination to study or
analyze government finances.
What Senator Overman means by leeiti-
mate expenses of the government, is the
expenditures after eliminating all expen-
ditures resulting from the war. In order
TO be perfectly fair to the Harding admin
istration, Senator 0verman deducts two
billion six hundred odd millions from the
total appropriations for 1923, as follows ::
The Emergency Fleet Corporation, $780,
000,000 Veterans Bureau. $418,000,-
600; u. S. Housing Corporation, $1,000,-
600; Alien Property Custodian. 1870. 900 !;
Internal Revenue and Public Debt Service.
$43.000,000; Bonus to employees, $685.
100000; Public Debt funds. $l.260. 000.-
600; Federal Reserve Bank franchise tax
and Debt retirement, $50, 100000. This
leaves 900 for legitimate ex-
penses of the government for 1928, as
against S793. 064.000 for 1915 under the
Wilson administration, difference of
$536, 100000 in favor Of the Wilson ad-
mnistration economy.
Senator Warren. Republican. Of Wyo-
ming, Chairman Of the Senate Appropria-
tons Committee, has stated that the total
appropriations for 1928 are 1913. 000.-
900 less than for 1922, but the Republi-
can Chairman did not add that greater
part of it was on account Of decreasing the
army and navy and by charging the ap-
preparation for good roads to the Postal ap-
preparations, which are not included in the
list of appropriations, but which are paid
out of postal revenue. Senator Overman s
statement, however, gives the explanation
which Senator Wanens statement lacks
If Democratic spokesman followed the
same method of deceiving the people used
by Republicans, they could assert with
literal truth that the appropriations for
1915 under the Wilson administration were
$l,107 .309. 696.83. and the appropriations
under the Harding administration for 1923
were $3,747,035. 38264. thus showing
that the Harding administration has in
creased the cost of government $685.
725.6S5.9l.
The bare truth. however, is when these
figures are explained that the Harding
administration has increased the leeiti-
mate expenses of running the government
after deducting expenditures made neces-
sary by the war, $3.50, 100000. while the
Republican party spokesman and the Re.
publican press are trying to make il appear
that he is economizing and reducing ex-
penses.