Evening star., 1924-03-11
= CAN~.YOUR TAXES BE CUT?
A Series of Articles on the Co t of Government:
%-A s- Where the Money Goes, and Why.
:s-.z BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR,
Author Of "Can

make up these huge totals. i shall
eliminate all the fractions less than
$1,000. ~. :.
l.. A total Of ss,ss1,ooo was spent
for the running expenses OF the depart
creased by about 100000 for 1924.
2. little over 35S,922, 900 was spent
In 1923 in increases In the Navy. This
lis for construction of ships. This is in
creased by about 1000, ,ooe for 1924.
mates. Another item OF $s,5o7,00o was
spent in scrapping old vessels. 1t
seems that vessels get old in a remark
ably short time. Those ships that were
in class In the world war. have now
been relegated to class 2. Soon they
will be out Of commission entirely, and
will be used for target practice by the
new vessels now being built. This item
OF scrapping is increased to an esti-
mated total of s15.000.000 In 1924.
SIG, 7o2, 900 for 1928. This is a new de-
partment, which bids fair to become one
of the, big spending bureaus OF the
Navy. However, this is reduced TO
about $4,000. 900 in the 1924 estimates.
bureaus Outspend Departments.
We pass over quickly the expendi-
lures of several Of the bureaus where
additional millions were used up in
1923. --'
The bureau of ordnance, &10,67o,0oo.
The bureau Of yards and docks. ST.
$4,000.
The bureau Of medicine and surgery,
$3.50. 900.
The bureau Of navigation, $l2,474,-
900.
The bureau Of construction and re-
The bureau Of engineering, $1s,so3, 900.
81. 49,, 900.
clerical expenses in the secretary's
Expenses for temporary govern
ment for West Indian Islands. $s4s,-
600.
The Naval Observatory. $4,000.
You will note. several Of the ou-
reaus mentioned n In one one line spent
in the same year by several OF the
important departments Of the gov
eminent.
In the expenses for the current
operations for 1923 two spending bu-
reaus of the Navy Department de-
serve special mention, the bureau Of
supplies and accounts and the Marine
Corps.
The bureau Of supplies and accounts
spent 316o,274,o00 for the fiscal year
1924. but for 1925 it asks again for
about $3.50, ,oo0,o 900. This includes the
pay Tor all men in the service, PRO-
visions for the departments, freight
and fuel and transportation This is
about half million dollars a day.
The Marine Corps spent $30.159. 900
In 1928: II asks for 36.00O,000 less
for 1924. This is the land contingent
OF the Navy, and II is nearly always
the first branch of the military serv-
ice In battle. This was true In the
world war. The Marine Corps is scat.
tered throughout the world. The ma
rines are in Haiti, Santo Domingo
and many other countries.
S34I, 100000 Estiaates for 1924.
The expenses SO far mentioned are
all for current operation. They totaled
for 1923 over 3310.164,oo0.
The other division of naval aetiy-
tiles is that of public works. The
amount spent for this division for
1923 was $10,O73,O00 This is, how
ever, decreased by more than $4,000
600 in the estimates for 1924. No
this division for the fiscal year 1928.
A few miscellaneous costs make up
the balance.
And so to sum up: Nineteen twenty
three saw an expenditure of $323,000,-
600 by the American Navy. The rev.
enue of the department totaled about
$19,000.000. mostly made up Of the
sale of war supplies. The estimate
has been increased for expenditures
for 1924 to &341,S73,000.
In addition to naval and Marine
Corps personnel of more than loo, 900
officers and men. the Navy Depart
ment maintains a civil force of 42,842
The Department in Washington en-
ploys 5,418 stenographers, clerks and
other civilian assistants.
THESE then are the hare facts nf
the Navy Department. 1t is. one of
the large spending bureaus. For every
dollar spent by the United States gov
eminent in 1928, the Navy Depart
ment took 1919 cents. This does not
include expenses of past wars or
interest on the public debt due to
Navy increases.
1t would seem as though here was
place where joint action could be
had with the present government of
England and of other governments in
Europe, which are now very hard
pressed in making national budgets
balance, to have a second conference
called which will demand drastic re-
duction in all other naval buildings
not included in the first conference
such as. cruisers, airplanes and sub
marines.
Along some such line lies at least
some possibility of hope for the
American taxpayer.
(Copyrfght, 1924. in United States and Great
Britain by North American Newspaper
Alliance. All rights reserved.l