The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-04-14
WASHINGTON LETTER

Washington, April 10.--When Vice
President Coolidge talks about the
Constitution, his usual theme, he at
tracts only ordinary attention, be-
cause apparently he knows no more
about it-than any other average New
England country lawyer, and still
more apparently because he never
says anything about it that is in dis
pute. But when he speaks about "an
incredible achievement in economy,
as he did recently in Brooklyn, he is
sure to attract attention, because Mr..
Coolidge personally has a record and
reputation for economy, As Gov
ernor of Massachusetts he paid S34.50
month house rent. when the rest of
US were in the hands of profiteers and
rent-hogs. When he was candidate
for the. vice presidency, one old New
Highlander asked another what salary
that office paid, and on learning that
it WAS $4,000 a year, remarked in a
tone of satisfaction, 'Well, Cal car
save 500 of that" ~
Unfortunately, the "almost incred-
ibie achievement in economy" to
which Vice President Coolidge re-
ferTed in his Brooklyn speech had no
personal application; he was talking
of the paper savings of the Harding
administration, which makes the %al-
most incredible achievement in econ
l'omy" altogether Incredible. principal
ly because there was no such achieve
ment.
To begin with, Mr.. Coolidge states
that the appropriations prior to the
war were a little over 81 900, 900 900;
for the last fiscal year G92D $4,000
600, 600; for the present fiscal year
(estimated) $4,000, 100000, and for
1921 (also estEnated) $500 900, 900.
He estimated that by deducting items
of permanent expenditure created by
the war the present cost of running
the government would not exceed the
pre-war cost by more than two or
three hundred million dollars.
In these spurious partisan claims of
economy between 1921 and 1923 no
account is ever taken of the fact that
in 1921 $780, III $3.50 were expended on
the railroads, whereas no amount is
appropriated for this purpose for 1928.
Nor do the claimants ever refer to the
fact that through reductions, made in
going from war tota peace basis the
Democrats turned back into the Treas
ury over $1,000, 000U00 of war appro-
priations in 1919.
With reference to Mr.. Coolidge7s
claim that by eliminating fixed ex-
penditures created by the war the or
binary expenses of the Government
will only be two or three hundred mil
lion dollars more in 1928 than under
pre-war conditions, the official figures
Of 1916 compared with the estimates
for 1923 show nearly four times as
much as stated by Mr.. Coolidge. Here
are the figures:
President Harding's budget estimate
for 1928 is $685., 100000. From this
is to be deducted $975,U0O, 900 interest
on the war debt; $50O,H90, 900 for the
Veterans Bureau, and 1881 ,000, 900 for
the Sinking Fund, amounting to 81,
$4,000. This shows that the admin
iStration proposes to appropriate
$3.50 ,OO0, 600 more in 19Z3-nearly one
ibision mOre-tilan was appropriated
in the pre-war year Of 1915. Atten-
tfon is also called to the fact that the
Presidents budget estimates for 1928
are $87017, 41e more than Congress
for 1922.
Vice President Goolidge's statement
rs a mere repetition Of the bombastic
claims made by Representative Fess
of Ohio, whose idea Of a stupendous
achievement of the administration is
the passage of bills for bridgns. dams
and dykes.
With these facts and figures easily
available, Vice President Coolidge
Notwithstanding credits the admins
tratlon with ian almost incredible
achievement in economy"
The Vice President pits the seal of
approval upon Chairman Lasker of
the Shipping Board, who is also
economizing" by paying $35, 0O0 and
S25, 900 salaries to assistants, and up
on the administrations plan to get
the Government out of the shipping
business by giving away our magnif-
icent merchant feet with a large bo-
nus to the purchasers who take them
in order to guarantee the private own
ers against loss. This is what Mr..
Coolidge calls constructive economy"