Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1922-05-18
GEN. DAWES
CAMCUFLAGE
SAVINGS
Will The People BE Hoodwinked And
Made Believe The Republican Con-
gress Has Been Their Frined?

J to save the Republican Congress at
the polls this fall, the administration
has set Brigadier General "Hell and
Maria" Dawes to work with pencil
/ and paper to "save" money for cam
/ paign ca.nouflage. Brigadier General
, Dawes bears the same relation to the
political finances of the administers
ton that Brigadier General Sawyer
bears to the military effulgence.
Last January. President Harding
announced that s136,0O0,OoO had been
saved during the first six months Of
the present fiscal year, basing his
claim upon the statement of Briga
der General Dawes, the Director of
the Budget.
On Feb. 8, Representative Byrns Of
Tennessee, introduced a resolution
asking the President to give some
details of the alleged savings.
On the 9Th of the present month
the report of the Director of the Bud
get in response to this resolution
was published in the newspapers, with
no notice whatever to Congress as to
what it contained until the Members
read it in the newspapers. Like the
colored widow, whose mourning outfit
included complete suit of black
underwear, because, as she announc-
ed, "when mourns | mourns,' Gen
eral Dawes in his report of Savings
alleging a reduction in expenditures
from 1921 of s1,6O0,00O,OO0 shows
that when he saves he saves"
AS Representative Byrhs %of Ten
nessee points out, savings by the adj
ministration can only consist of funds
which have not been expended out of
the appropriations previously made
by Congress for governmental pur-
poses during the fiscal year, and
which Congress believed to be suffi-
Gent to carry on the routine opera
tons of the Government.
He then shows that Congress actu-
ally appropriated $292,733,916.74 to
meet deficiencies incurred by the exc
cutive departments for 1922, and calls
attention to letter written by Sec
rotary Mellon on April IA, stating
that there would have been a large
deficit had he not determined to post
lpone payment of some 100000, 900 of
obligations due until the next fiscal
year.
Concerning the claim of Savings"
for the ordinary routine of the gov
eminent, Mr.. Byrns says, a Casual
analysis shows that they are plainly
deceptive"
The reduction in ordinary expendi
lures for routine business of govern
ment, generally subject to executive
control, in 1922 as compared to 1921,
will be in the neighborhood of $907,-
100000, according to General Dawes's
report.
Mr.. Byrns points out that in this
statement General Dawes takes credit
for the following reductions:
| Army expenses, $712,500,000; naval
expenditures, over $192,000,000; Ship
ping Board, $56,5OO,O00; amounting to
$961 .431 ,617.16, "thus showing by his
own figures" says Mr.. Byrns, chat
the actual expenditures have been in
creased rather than decreased"
/ In 1921 there was an army of over
100000 men and a very large navy,
and there were also large war hang
overs in 1921 which were dispensed
with in 1922. ut is ridiculous" says
Mr.. Byrns, 'to say that the admins
tration is entitled to take credit for
it's reduction to something like a
peacetime basis"
One interesting phase of General
Dawes's report is that it shows that
: the President has increased the eX-
penditures of his own office over what
they were in 1921. It should be re-
membered too, as Mr.. Byrns points
out, that the appropriations in 1921
were made by Republican Congress
"a reduction Of taxes" says Mr.
Byrns, "is the only test as to whethe,
or not there has been reduction OF
expenditures. The plain fact is that
there has been no reduction of taxes
by the Congress, except that of the
big trusts and the multi-lnillionaires
of the country. The vast body of the
taxpayers has been given no relief
whatever"
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