The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1922-01-12


Total .......................... .$5. .Il6,o0o 600
Substantially all the expenditures
entering into this total, and large
share of the expenditures on various
minor accounts, represent burdens di-
rectly traceable to the war, to past
wars or to preparedness for future
wars. These figures serve to indicate
the direction which sincere efforts to
reduce the cost Of the government
must take.
Then found Mr.. Gilbert, the under
secretary of the treasury, saying:
There has been much idle talk to the
effect that the excessive cost of govern
ment is due to inefficiency and extrava-
gance in the executive departments.
Without doubt there has been waste and
inefficiency in the various government de-
partments and establishments. and much
can be accomplished. and has already
been accomplished, by the Introduction
of efficient and economic methods of ad-
ministration and the elimination of du-
: plication and unnecessary work. 1t might
we'll be possible to save much as
100000 or s10O, ,000, ,O00 by careful and sci
entitic reorganization of the governments
business.
The figures show that over 80 per
cent of the total annual expenditures
of the government are related to war.
Out of total expenditures during 1920 of
about $6,400. co., 900, about 51a billions rep
resented expenditures directly traceable
s to the war; to past wars, or to prepared
ness for future wars. OF this, about
q, ,600 100000 went for the army and navy,
over $500,000,000 for the shipping board,
: over s., coo. 100000 for the railroads, another
81 900, 100000 for interest on the public debt,
almost s500, 600, 600 for purchase of obliga-
Hons of foreign governments on account
OF their war expenditures, and the remain
Z der for pensions. war risk allotments and
4 miscelaneous items related to war. An
q alysis of the expenditures Of the frst
4. six months Of the fiscal year 1921 gives
similar results. The figures also show.
that the total cost OF running what may
be termed the civil establishment proper,
that is to say. the various government
Ue partments, boards and commissions and
*the legislative establishment, have not
much exceeded $250.0o0.oOO even in the abb
normal war years.
l sought details. If more than 80
+ per cent of the entire disbursements
of 1929 went for past and prospective
wars, how much had we been spend
*racy? We are all familiar with the
E argument that the best way to prevent
war Is to be prepared for war.
Thought / might find out whether that
zswas true. / went back into the rec
x.ords and found that year by year,
from 1884 to 1919 inclusive, the treas
12ury department had kept an account
&of the actual disbursements-not APP
preparations, mind you, but actual
lnoney expended-of the War depart
ment, the Navy department and for
pensions. When l got all the figures
before me | couldn't add them up.
& In the bureau of internal revenue
operator, and SO know and can tell
lou that from 1854 to and through
XDl9 the War Department actually dis
nrsed $4,000. 800. .00S.65. In the same
zqperiod the Navy Department spent
- g, ,907 1863, ,d32. .S4; and pensioners Of
past wars got S5,634079, ,694.23.
That Is a laundering total Of $780,
& coo s759,0 ,041.49 for the army and navy
Home. leaving out of account the
d, ,634, ,0T9 ,G94 % for pensions 3
2I win let you decide whether. any
0f the twenty-nine billion dollars
"a for preparedness and for war
nted our going to war or found
- epared when we went to war.
~ nee items have enumerated
f@A n ribs Of the skeleton of the
Kar preparation and activity.
80 1T been able to excavate any
< XUAil figures But X is known