Evening star., 1924-12-07
YOU AND UNCLE SAM
Series oJ Educational Articles Telling Hoo Federal Govern
Is Organized and HoiU 1t FunctionS-Written
Expressly for School Children.
No. l7-How Uncle Sam Spends His Money.
KENNEDX
How Uncle Sam Spends His Money.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY

Interest on the public debt costs the
taxpayer $3.50, 900, 000 or more than
25 cents out of every dollar he pays
to the Government. The cost of mill
tary functions reaches total or
S1,109, ,740,1S2, or close to "a per cent
Of all expenditures This is made up
of military pensions, retirement pay.
and life insurance. which runs up to
$6O0.S5 ,512. or 1899 per cent. andf the
expenses for national defense $685.
$685. or 1857 per cent. The next
great big expenditure is for retire
ment of the public debt from ordinary
receipts, which is S4S4, 4,766.130, or 14.S4
per cent. Then certain civic functions
total S467 ,330,575. or 1870 per cent.
These are: Public works, such IS
post Offices. irrigation and reclama-
ton projects. rivers and har5ors work
and build ing good roads, which total
S1S1,72S, ,563. or 5.56 per cent; promo
tion of water transportation S73,41S,-
200, or 2.25 per cent, and other civic
functions S2l2, 1873 .S13. or Gao per cent
For the general functions of gov
ernment. including the costs of Con-
gress. the Supreme Court and the
Presidents Office and establishment
there must he drawn from the Treas
ury SIG, 1856 So Cost of military func-
tions is divided between the Army.
Army allowed 1858, 800, 59S and the Navy
$282. ,604. There is allowed $197,-
coo, 900. for military pensions, S307,
700,0 600 for World War allowances
and $22, ,O65. .S07 for retirement pay.
Presidents Requests Cited.
The President. acting on the recon-
mendation of the Budget Bureau. has
asked Congress to allocate funds
totaling S44l.021, ,S3S.6S for civic func-
tiuns, which include: Sl5.S01,652 for
foreign relations and protection of
American interests abroad: S22, SI3.-
170 for general law enforcement
which includes the national prohibi-
tion act. the narcotic act and the in
vestigation and prosecution of war
contract frauds; $6,765.653 for the
control of currency and banking; $l3.
427.027 for the administration of In
dian affairs; S2l,6S1.S49 for the ad-
ministration OF public domain. which
includes the care and utilization of
public lands and national forests
Si3.490.511 for the promotion and reg
ulation Of commerce and industry.
including the activities of the Tariff
Commission. the Federal Trade Com
mission. the Patent Office and certain
activities of the Agriculture and
Commerce Departments: S62, ,956. .629
ulation of marine transportation.
which includes nearly S25. 100000 for
the Shipping Board and Emergency
! Fleet Corpora tion; approximately S5,-
600, 600 for the promotion and regula-
tion of land transportation; more
than S33, 100000 for the promotion of
agricultural interests: more than ST.
500. 600 for the promotion and regula-
tion of fisheries, more than 81, 4,44l.000
for the promotion of labor interests +;
S5.746.8 $40 fol' immigration and nat
uralization; more than $l2.J90 000 for
promotion of public health; $1l,89l,-
345 for promotion of public educa ton;
nearly S12,160, 600 for science and re-
search: more than s37,206,00 for
local government. including the Ma
tionaI Capital and $l5S,o50 for civil
relief
So you see Uncle Sam is taking
pretty good care Of his nephews and
neices in scores and hundreds OF diff
ferent ways, and making the dollars
paid in taxes spread out over "a wide
range Of beneficial activities.
Copyright. 1924 by Will p Kennedy
(The eighteenth article in this
series will be The Proposed New
Executive Department" 1t will be
printed in this paper next Wednes-
day.)