Evening star., 1924-01-21

cloud Of taxation that has darkened
so many homes. That he has been
able 10 make such Il recommendation
is due an large measure TO the Sacrl-
fees willing or unwilling, that you
have made. In the face of a continu-
ally falling revenue under present
laws, the budget now before Congress
shows progressively increasing sur
plus, a result that only could be ef-
fected by a progressive reduction in
expenditure that more than offsets
the falling off of receipts"
Explaining the three-year reduction
in expenditures. Gen. Lord said ap-
propriations for 1928 were s2s4 900
600 less than the appropriations for
1929: appropriations for 1924 We're
Sll6, 100000 less than for 1929, while
the required reduction of s126,000.00o
IN estimates for 1925 contemplated
that the appropriations for that year
would be s537,259 ,062.46 less than was
appropriated for 1922
Estimates for 1925.
The preliminary estimates for 1925.
Director Lord revealed, called for
t264. 4.000.0 600 more than the maximum
liked by the Chief Executive and ne
cesSitated q huge reduction task for
the budget bureau. Out of the forty
three departments and independent
establishments of the government
only four requested less funds for
1925 than for 1924 and were placed
on the roll OF honor" Gen. Lord
extended his CONGRATULATIONS and
most distinguished considera tion to
these medal winners on the stricken
Held of estimates" They We're the
Interstate Commerce Commission, the
shipping Board and Emergency Fleet
Corporation, the United States Eeter-
ans Bureau and the Department of
the Interior.
The final result of the 1925 budget
pairing was said now to be before
Congress with a total estimate of
s1,645.791.o for all purposes excIu-
sive of the public debt and the postal
estimates. This is 31S,410,916.36 less
than the amount requested in the
preliminary estimates. Including in
tereSt on the public debt and the re-
duction of the debt, the total car
fied in the budget is S3,91S.a69, ,946.b6,
which approximates very closely the
three billion mark which President
Harding had as a goal"
One of the major difficulties first
encountered by the bureau of the
budget, Gen. Lord recounted, was
that hopeless two-thirds of the total an
nua! expenditure not subject to admin
strative CONTROL including interest on
the public debt, reduction of the public
debt, "$6SS 100000 for the veterans OF
three wars and dependents Of four"
and "other millions in indefinite and
permanent appropriations and in
other funds which are not susceptible
OF modification"
Little for Economy.
This deduction, left in the 1925
budget" the general said, some
thing less than billion and a
half dollars subject to reduction and
available for the practice of econo-
my
Gen. Lord praised the various agen-
cies which had been able to practice
economies In various ways, naming
especially: The chief -ordinator's
Office, the federal traffic board, the
permanent conference on printing, the
interdepartmental board of contracts
and adjustments, the federal specifi-
cations board, the federal liquidation
board. the federal real estate board
and the general supply committee.
The War Department, Marine Corps
and Department of the Interior were
given honorable mention" for their
zeal In taking advantages of dis
counts by quick payment of bills. The
War Department was said to have
earned s210.54S.S2 in the fiscal year
1923, record OF something like 9S
per cent of all discounts offered,
which Gen. Lord predicted could be
equaled by 'few concerns in civil
life