Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-03-07
CAN YOUR TAXES BE CUT?
A Series of Articles on the Cost of Government;
Where the Money Goes, and Why.
BY JOHN r. SINCLAIR.
Author OF Gan Europe Hold Together

was spent by this bureau for the
,l.7ss. 900 for 1924. An 'i items for op' 1925 ss
OF $1,000 900 FOR adjustment and pay
a msma q for m 1ssaF claims" does not
The national park service has
charge Of the work Of supervision
| or the nineteen national parks and
me seventeen national monuments
Inc secretary enumerates In his 1923
DIVISION during the year. A total of
| sl.46S.0O0 was spent in 1929 by this
service: This is increased by almost
SIPS 900 for 1924.
The patent office was first organ
ized as a bureau of the State Depart
ment In 1886. and became bureau
OF the Interior Department on the
foundation of the latter in 1848. This
bureau has charge of the admins
tration OF all patent laws and SUI
pervision of all matters relating to
the granting of letters patent for in
ventors. For 1929 the number of ap-
plications total 102.1S8. The patent
office sells zoo, copies of patents a
month. For the fiscal year 1929 this
bureau spent $2,149.000, and is asking
FOR 100000 more for 1924. However
it Is more than self-supporting, for
1928 Its receipts were s3.026.000.
Reclamati ton Funds q Loan.
The reclamation service is one of
the most important in the depart
| ment. 1t was organized in 1902. This
service says that 1.202,130 acres Of
land were irrigated in 1922. The to-
tai value of crops produced thereon
was $60,3o0,000. This service operated
more than $4,000 miles Of canals,
bitches and drains. 900 miles of pipe
line, 140 miles Of f1ume.
A total OF $5.659,OO0 was spent in
this bureau in the fiscal year 1923.
This will increase to an estimated
amount Of $11, $4,000 for 1924. These
funds, however, which are put into
these irrigation projects are only
loaned to the farmers. Provision is
made in the reclamation act Of June
IL, 1902. for their repayment. The
sum used is merely revolving fund
to carry out the work.
This has been one of the most useful
departments of the government.
The Alaskan engineering commits
sion was created by Congress In
March, 1914, to build a railroad from
the interior of Alaska to one or more
open seaports on the coast This
work was entrusted to three engi-
neers appointed by the President.
They began the work of construction
in 1915 and completed it In the early
summer of 1923. Up to June 80. 1928,
a total OF s56,067.000 ha been spent
by the government of the United
States in building this Alaska rail-
road. During the fiscal year 1928 a
total of s4.472.oo0 was spent on this
government railroad. This figure Is
cut down to an estimated 100000
for 1924.
From present plans the government
does not expect to invade the realm
Of private enterprise in operating
hi 10 nrly
In his report for 1923 that 'in order
to encourage private investment the
Alaska railroad has recently ceased
coal mining AS rapidly
as possible the Alaska railroad will
be Invested of all its other extrane-
Gus activities not directly related to
It's primary function, viz, the manu-
facture and sale of transportation"
Has Charge Of TWO Territories.
The United States still has two ter
ritories, Alaska and Hawaii. These
are under the supervision of the De-
partment OF Interior. Both the gov
erning of Alaska and the governing
of Hawaii are under the direction of
the Secretary of the Interior. A total
of $4,000 was spent in these two
territories out of the federal treasury
for 1922; This is ste, to 6 be decreased BY
Hawaii lis. however, far more than
self-supporting. Since the organiza-
ton of Hawii as a territory it has
paid into the United States Treasury
more than s100.000,000. During the
same period it has received back from
the United States government, how
much? Just S16,00O,000.
The Department of the Interior
distributes $2,5J0,000 each year to COL
leges for agriculture and mechanics:
it's bureau of education cost $4,000
for 1923, which is increased by $4,000
for 1924. Salaries and printing in
the department proper (excluding
those in the pension bureau and In
dian affairs) add $5,93S, 900. Certain
public institutions pile up S1,132,000
more for 1923.
Then there are certain special and
trust funds set aside Nike the civil
service retirement fund of s7,673. 900
for 1929. which total approximately
$10.400,000. These can hardly be
classified as expenditures.
Altogether. leaving out Of account
funds, the department spent $751;
32s,o0 for the fiscal year 1928. This
is increased by approximately s5,-
100000 for 1924. On the other hand
the department receipts exclusive of
trust funds We're sT6,410.00O. The net
cost of the Department of the Interior
exclusive of Indian affairs and PEN
sions-was about s15.0OO,000 for the
fiscal year 1923.
Copyright. 1924. in Z. S. and Great Britain
by North American Newspaper Alliance
All rights reserved.)