Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-13

washington, May t3s-Aitheugn inc
| United states, with tho principal ma
fions Of the world. has agreed TO cut
down it's naval and military expenses
very considerably In the interests vf
world peace and international econo-
lmy. yet OF all OF the tremendous
amount Of money spent by the
lAmerican Government, nearly three
lauarters IL for purposes of war. This
does not mean that 75 per cent of the
outlay OF Government In for martial
preparations, payment for past wars
making up the larger part OF the
Item.
The whole expenditure by the Gov
ernment for 1922 amounts 70 tS,sol,-
I1i3,6bs. OF this great total, no less
than s2,77i ,ss7,s ,s7s is to provide for
the Army and Navy, and pay debts In
Icurred by wars Of the past. The sum
OF t72s,s7a.919 IL for national defense.
! The rest is the payment OF Interest,
pensions, and the like incurred In wars
Of the past. This sum includes money
. for the United states Shipping Board,
however,
J For the Post once Department
] sum is'made up from postal revenues.
] and therefore the Postofflce Depart
g ment is self-supporting. However.
g the sum must be Included among
Government expenses regardless Of
Q how that expense is met.
These figures may be slightly
K changed by subsequent acts OF Con
D gress, but M general comparison
g viii hold good. Adoption Of the
d bonus plan by Congress and its ap-
proval by President Harding would
n add an enormous item to the costs of
wars. and make that item in the ma
I. tionsl budget an even more over.
q powerine figure thgn II Ia now.
: The normal Government expense
amounts TO about 10 per cent Of the
i whole outlay Of money. Public works
expenditures amount to only sbou
e 3.5 per cent OF the total.
,r Against considerably more that
,t 50, 900. 900, 900 TO be spent on accoun
l. OF wats--past and possible futur
clashes--only little more than 800,
r 100000 will be spent by tho Fedora
Government on good roads. The con
Ia structive Department OF Agricultur
L. will have to spend on it's work Q
- scientific research and public educstio
IN only obout s50.000.000. The Depart
ment Of the Interior. another con
go structive arm of the Government, wi
v. have for it's work only about s35
is 900 900.
w Some Economy shown.
Since the great evpend5tures of wa
- times, the Government actually hs
~ economized tremendously. It's e1
u penditures Of those days make III
30 annual budget OF today appear sma
by comparison. But those days vi
leave their impression for many yea
}, to come In the payment OF intere,
charges on bonds. and q sinking fur
"' for the retirerneut OF Government ol
legations az their maturity.
Tho interest on the public def
- most of which was caused by u
World War. amounts TO nearly a bi
- lion dollars a year. Tho sinking fur
- requires nearly $zso.o0o,ooo al
nually.
- For taking care Of veterans Of u
-. World War. 1t II estimated that near
1890. 900 900 will be spent during Il
-, fiscal year 1872. This figure does n
- take into account the bonus legislati
now before Congress. II that beconn
a law, the expenditures for this pu
IN pose viii be enormously greater--it
-, impossible at this time to pred
accurately Just how much greater
The Treasury Department was d
la appointed in the income taxes ps
.r5 at the first quarterly date-March
60 last--and at present IL appears IN
estimates Of the amount of reven
to be derived from this source we
II too high. Allowance was made for
falling off from the amount receiy
last year, but the amount of unemplc
ment and the lower scales OF was
cut the return 10 the Government n
terially below the figure expected. tt
will mean, without any addition
outlay Of money by the Treasury I
partment, a deficit Of possibly s2C
100000 or t250.000, 900. This def
will be met by the issuance of sh
, term obligations of the United Sta
, Government, and will be taken UP
> the course of next year.
: II! However. expenditures for the G
r ernment are now fixed, to all inte
, and purposes. They will be redu
? gradually, but not by such leaps
3 bounds that the income necessary
= the Government can be reduced. "
[ the possibility of the bonus bill
= coming law, not only can there be
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