Evening star., 1924-03-21
CAN YOUR TAXES BE CUT?
A Series of Articles ON the Cost of Governments;
Where the Money Goes, and Why.
BY JOHN r. SINCLAIR,
Author of Can Europe Hold Toxetherr'

.
the expenses Of the War Department
are far too heavy now In view OF the
present condition OF the world p,
sz3ea.eso.oeo fer veteranA
That the veterans Of the last war,
not Including bonuses given to them
Of $s51,ooo.ooo by twenty individual
states, have already had expended
upon them out Of tho public treasury
grand total of over $780, ,ooo, 600.
That, next to public debt charges. the
Veterans Bureau, dealing only with
the soldiers OF the last war. Is today
the most expensive agency in the
government. having spent $454,oo0, 900
for 1928. q
That public debt charges took over
as against less than / per cent In
1915. That a decrease Of one-half Of
per cent would save an enormous
amount Of money to the taxpayers
national debt should be made at rates
not only satisfactory to the bankers,
but to the people of the country who
pay the bills as well.
That some OF the most important
under the supervision of any cabinet
member. That there are three times
as many independent bureaus as there
are cabinet departments. That re-
organization of the government bu-
especially the merging of the Army
ana Navy and the taking away of
all military activities from this
new department of defense-is very
desirable. That such a move prom
ises more for the future, SO far as
tax reduction is concerned, than for
the present.
In a word. we found out that the
government spent S3.ss7.47s,o00 for
the fiscal year 1928. OF this amount,
per cent; war, 1862 per cent: Vet
erans' Bureau, 12.49 per cent; public
debt charges. 39.45 per cent; total war
expenses, 1916 per cent This does not
include some national expenses which
have arisen out of war.
These. then. are the facts in the
situation. We complain of the ex-
penses of good roads. think the
amount, now crawling up to nearly
relatively 1t is small-only 215 per
cent OF the total expenses for last
year. / think refunds of taxes are
6oo 6oo large. running up over $3.50. .ooo,-
0oo In 1898. but relatively to the to-
tai expenses this amount is small
only All per cent.
We have come to the end Of our
study. The facts assembled here are
from the oficial records of tn. gov
eminent. They tell real story.
Industry Endangered. He Says.
Has the time arrived yet when the
people OF the United States are will
ing to attack the whole public policy
Of national defense and the financing
OF it as It is now conducted. in the
same way as they attack the prob
lem OF public health or Of any other
| contagious disease of long standing?
Are We to continue to believe that
our stone-ase conception Of national
defense must continue until the last
natfon7is 10 wrecked and the last fiscal
government Is debauched? War and
modern industrialism cannot continue
to live in the same age. No force
in the world is so detrimental to
modern industry as war. One or the
other must be eliminated or the mod
ern industrial plant as we know 1t
will go down in a wreck.
Even the United States. the richest
iof tho rich in tho world having an
income last year larger than that
OF all Europe combined, was not able
to carry on in the last war without
feeling the awful suffering in the
the wholesale bankruptcies of entire
states In the west. Witness the
exodus Of over one million farmers,
financially wrecked and discouraged,
moving from the farms into the in
dustrial hoppers Of the great cities
to compete with men there who them
selves were looking for work.
Look at the wreck OF Europe. She
was not so rich when the last war
started as we were nor was she so
favored by nature.
The destructive forces of the world
and their champions are ruling man
kind today. They are demanding and
continue to demand more armies and
more navies in every country. Our
country is no exception.
The constructive forces of peace
and plenty can scarcely be heard
above the din and noise of war and
preparation for more war. If the tax
payers Of America want to reduce
taxes, either now or in the future,
the only hope lies in the abolition
of this whole war business and a
determination At all costs OF a will
That's what 1 get out of a study
of the national budget of the United
States.
OCopyrisht, 1924, in United States and Great
Britain by North American Newspaper
Alliance. All rights reserved.)