, 1922-09-01
Only S5.I8 Per Capita

APPROPRIATIONS for the support of the fed.
n eral government for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1923 totaled s3,74TOOO,OO0. If we subtract
from this sum the amount appropriated for the
postal service sos, 000, 1000 which is payable
from postal revenues, the total will be S3,1s2,O00,
900. On the basis of 106,OO0,00O population, this
means a per capita tax of about $50. Included in
the federal budget for 1923 are certain items which
must be considered in any comparison with per-
war appropriations. These items include the inter.
est on the public debt 1915, OO0,OOO; the sinking
nd-S3 0,O00; the increase In pension appro-
%priations to S252,000, 300; appropriations for the
Veterans bureau to provide compensation, voca-
tional training, and medical and hospital relief
s4lS,OOO,OOO; the appropriation for the shipping
ard-s1OO,O00,00 and the increase for the in
ternal revenue bureau, including prohibition en-.
forcement, TO S60,000,00O.
Most Of this represents the heritage from the
previous administration, for war and for waste.
1t also represents an aggregate of S1,929,OOO,OOO.
over pre-war appropriations (postoffiee appro-
priation excluded as that department pays ITS own
way). subtracting this sum from the total for the
year and we have $1,235 100000 as the 1923 bill for
running the government under Republican con
troll. "Back to normally"
The largest of the reductions for 1923 under 1922
are to be found in the army and navy establish
ments, the combined reductions beeing $213,0O0 900.
The enlisted personnel of the army has been cut 50
per cent, compared with the strength authorized
under the National Defense Act of 1920, and the
personnel of the navy has suffered a corresponding
reduction. War is a piker compared with public
economy in reducing the military strength of the
nation.
1t is interesting to compare this per capita tax
of $50 for the upkeep of the federal government
with certain examples of municipal and state tax
alton, For instance. the New York city budget for
1921 totaled $323y4SSyS57 imposed upon n population
of 5,620,000 or a per capita of S5756. The New
York state budget was $145, 79s, O93, imposed upon
n population of 10,3s5, 900 or n per capita for the
state of s14.04. OF course the metropolis shared
in that also. The aggregate of the city budgets of
New York, Chicago, San Francisco, st. Louis and
New Orleans in 1921 was $50S,469,521 imposed upon
an aggregate population of ~9,9sS,5OO or 5000 per
capita. The aggregate of the states in which these
cities are located was $271, 934,994 imposed upon a
population of ~25,499y500 or S1O66 per capita. If
we should set aside the extraordinary appropria-
lions and consider only the appropriations for run
ming the federal government the per capita would
be S11S2, or not much greater than that of the five
states.
Included in the federal appropriations for 1928
are $256,OO0,O00 for the military activities of the
war department or a per capita of only $2.41 and
s294,OOO,OOO for the navy, or a per capita of s2.77
or S5IS per capita as our national insurance.
II We assume that the state and municipal budgets
cited are about the same this year as they were i'm
ls2l-they are probably larger-we should have a
per capita tax for them of 5000 plus s1O.66, or
s61.56, plus the federal per capita, $50. or an ag.
gregate of SCISSOR $50 per cent for municipal.
lL64 per cent for state and 1927 per cent for fed.
eral ~taxation; while the per cent of total average
per capita for the army would be 2.63 and for the
navy 3O2-or 565 per cent for both. Certainly this
is an emonomy in nation defense which strains the
factor of safety to the breaking point.