The Glenwood post., 1922-01-05

Navy department ................ T3b,OOOVU
Shipping board .................. 631. 900 900
Federal control Of trAnsporta-
ton systems and payments
to the railroads under the
transportation act. 1920 ....... 1851. 900 900
Interest on the public debit. 1920, 900 900
Pensions OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 213,O0O 900
War-risk insurance ............. u7.000.000
Purchase of federal farm-loan
bonds ............................ $1,000 900
Total IS, 716. 600 600
Substantially all the expenditures
entering into this total, and large
share of the expenditures on various
minor accounts, represent burdens d.
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 il due to inefiiciency 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-
minstration and the elimination of du-
plication and unnecessary work. 1t might
well be possible to save as much as
80 700 or ,lOO.oO0,OO0 by careful and SCI
entific reorganization Of the governments
business
The figures show that over 80 per
81 thA tntn
of the government are related to war.
Out of total expenditures during 1920 of
about $s,4o0.0o00C 90. about 51h billions rep
resented expenditures directly traceable
to the war, to past wars. or to prepared
ness for future wars. OF this. about
81. 6O0. 900 900 went for the army and navy.
over $50O,O00.OOO for the shipping board.
over 81 .O0O.oo0.O00 for the railroads. another
81. 000. 5000 for interest on the public debt,
almost 5OO,00J0O for purchase of obliga-
lions of foreign governments on account
OF their war expenditures. and the remain
der for pensions. war risk allotments and
miscellaneous Items related to war. An
analysis OF the expenditures of the FIRST
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
departments. boards and commissions and
the legislative establishment. have not
much exceeded $780, 900 even in the ab-
normal war years.
sought details. If more than 80
per cent of the entire disbursements
of 1920 went for past and prospective
wars. how much had we been spend
ing to keep the world safe for democ-
racy? We are NIL familiar with the
argument that the best way to prevent
war is to be prepared for war. /
thought might find out whether that
was true. l went back into the rec
ords and found that year by year.
from 1884 to 1910 inclusive, the treas
ury department had kept an account
Of the actual disbursements-nOt ap-
preparations, mind you, but actual
money expended-of the War depart
tnent, the Navy department and for
pensions. When 1 got all the figures
before me l couldn't add them up.
In the bureau Of internal revenue
they loaned me a machine and an
operator and SO l know and can tell
you that from 1884 to and through
1918 the War Department actually dis
bursed $4,000, 800, O0s.85. In the same
period the Navy Department spent
SO 3O7 1868, 032.84; and pensioners of
past wars got $5.834, O79, 694.23.
That is laundering total of $780,
800, 759,04l.40 for the army and navy
alone, leaving out of account the
81, 834, 079, 894.23 for pensions.
will let you decide whether my
part Of the twenty-nine billion dollars
spent for preparedness and for war
prevented our going to war or found
US prepared when we went to war.
The three items I have enumerated
are only Ribs Of the skeleton Of the
cost of war preparation and activity.
I have not been able to excavate any
other detail figures. But 1t Is known
thut the war Of 1912 cost about $780,
7ca,ssO.
The cost of the Mexican war il estI.
ruated to have been SOS, 8O5, 621.
The total cost of the Civil war. tax.
Ing the period from June 80. 1851. to
June 80. 1895, may be figured closely
at $35OO. 100000.
The treasury In the winter Of 1920
II estimated In q report sent to con-
grcss through the secretary that the
cost Of the World war to us to that
date had been 81. 400, 900. 900. exclu.
sive Of our loans to the allies and
other foreign nations.
So you see the cost Of wars IL 20
Ing up. no matter how much money
we spend by way Of preparation.