Evening star., 1922-12-04

SIAR, WASHlNGION,
enforcement. which includes activities
having to do with the enforcement
OF general laws and the administra-
tton and enforcement Of special acts
like the national prohibition act. the
narcotic act and the investigation
frauds: s7.1se 900 for the control of
currency and banking: S12.Ss4,3e for
the administration of Indian affairs:
l7.5S2.01S for the administration Of
public domain. which includes those
activities Of the government having
public lands and the. care and utilixa-
tion OF national forests: S11.3s1 500
FOR the promotion and regulation Of
commerce and industry. which in
cIudes the activities of the tariff COM
mission. the federal trade commission,
the patent Office and those activities
OF the departments of agriculture and
commerce having to do with the pro-
motion and regulation Of commerce
ana industry: $79.49l.995 for the pro-
motion, regulation and operation Of
marine Transportation, which includes
SO.411.5O0 for the Shipping Board and
Emergency Fleet Corporations: $4.514.-
500 for the promotion and regulation
OF land transp6rration; $5g0.l71.y42
Tor the postal service and land tele-
- H.,
which includes $590.166.192 for the
postal service; $24,s76,7s for the pro-
motion and regulation Of agriculture; !;
Sl.:44.OSO for the promotion and regu-
lation or fisheries; $4,71S.030 for the
promotion Of labor interests; $3.87r.-
ton: SIS, .339 for promotion Of pub
ltc health; $10.151 .060 for promotion
or public education: S10,619.456 for
science and research; $29,563,110 for
local government. including the Dis
triet or Columbia. and $22s.95o for
Public Works.
For public works. under civil func-
fions. s96. $4,000 is carried, which
includes s4l,7S4.550 :. for rivers and
character, S31. 900 for roads; Sc
SSs; los for Panama canal; S4.75O.O00 for
reclamation service: $4,000 900 for
railroads In Alaska; $5,728.95O for
hospital construction and facilities
other public improvements and gov
ernment plant additions.
Under nonfunctional appropriations
Is carried total OF s1.355.72O O.602,
which includes s36. .1s7,05s for refunds.
losses contingencies. and miscella-
tirements payable from ordinary re-
ceipts. $S50.O0O, 900 for interest on the
public, debt and s:4.43s543 for dis
bursement of trust funds.
1t seems appropriate here to con-
slider the course OF the retrenchment
fiscal year ending June 80. 1919. the
year in which the armistice was
signed. Exclusive of expenditures
made in the reduction of the public
debt. the total expenditures for the
fiscal year ending June so. 1920. were
& n rh. iii fnt-
the fiscal year ending June so, 1921.
including $42o.2sl.5oO on account of
reduction of the public debt payable
from ordinary receipts, under the new
cumulative sinking fund, were So
duced for the fiscal year ending June
80. 1922. to s3.795.S02, ,4ss.st AS
have previously stated. the estimated
expenditures for 1923 are s3.1o3,S0l.-
81. while the budget for 1924 csti-
mates the expenditures at s3,1so,s43.-
23i for that year. These figures show
a most satisfactory reduction in the
expenditure Of public moneys since
1919.
Question of Further Cuts.
Can there be reasonable eXpecta-
ton for further considerable reduc-
tion in governmental expenditures in
the near futureo This question is no
doubt upon the lips of many. The
burden of taxation caused by the
world war has borne heavily upon us
all, and II has been the earnest de-
sire of the government to reduce this
burden to the minimum consistent
with a proper functioning of the fed
eral services. We have seen. how
ever that approximately two-thirds
Of the taxes collected go to pay GER
ture OF which there can be exercised
little or no. Administrative control.
The interest on the public debt. the
chief of the fixed charges. must be
paid. This will be ss5o.o0o.ooo for
the fiscal year 1924. constituting
lures of the government, Among
these are also certain pasmanent and
indefinite approprta tions for various
purposes. and certain large annual
appropriations sanctioned by law and
by public opinion.
After deducting these items there
is left. as has been shown. approXi-
mately only one billion dollars. out
of which these normal operating eX-
penSes of the government must be
paid. 1t is against this group of ex-
penditures that the retrenchment pol
icy of the government has been di-
rected. Never before in our financial
history has there been such close
scrutiny on the part of both the ex-
ecutive and the Congress of every
for the support OF the government.
Not only have the departments them
selves set up agencies of control both
in the preparation of their estimates
and over their expenditures. but the
pressure of the executive has been
directed toward effecting economies in
these ordinary governmental opera
tions.
A reduction in expenditures would
undoubtedly result from a reorgani-
zation of the departments and estab
lishments upon more scientific
alone to effect such material re-
duction in cost of government oper-
alton as would justify the expression
of hope for a considerable lessening
of expenditures in the years to come.
Federal Aid Problem.
There is. however. another field of
government operation-a rapidly
broadening field of government ex-
penditure-which may be discussed
with profit to us all. refer to ex-
penditures which are being made
from appropriations for federal aid
in lines of research. Improvement
and development, which. while hav-
ing no direct connection with the
operations. Of the business of gov
ernment, have grown to become a
recognized part of it's activities. It
is not easy, therefore, to divorce from
our minds the fact that considerable
Of the moneys appropriated for the
government are spent for those
things which do not pertain to the
normal functions or operations of
the business of government. There
is question as to how far the gov
ernment should participate in these
extraneous activities. and 1 am frank
to say that an answer to the Ques-
ton as to whether we can look for
ward to any further material reduc-
ton in the expenditures of the gov