Evening star., 1924-03-10
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 'Can Europe Hold Together

| for the building Of certain coast
| running vessels for this work. 1t
| would seem, however. as If this ex-
| pense could be entirely eliminated
| by the proper use OF the Navy.
q, Has Biggest EnGraviAS Plant.
5. The bureau of printing and en-
| craving is the largest and most ex-
tsnsive bureau Of this character IN
spent in 1928: about the, same is
asked for 1924. There has been
wholesale dismissal Of officers in this
| department recently. but most OF
! these have been reinstated- The
whole story Of this episode has not
| 6. The public health bureau Is also
| in this department. 1t has charge OF
all the health work Of the federal
| government. A total OF $9,0S9,000
was spent in 1929. This is increased
! OF this amount the division OF We
I nereal diseases spent $4,000. or ap-
| proximately $1,000 a day. This bu-
| reau, under the new plan OF reor-
ganization. Is taken away from the
Treasury and given over to the de-
partment of education and welfare.
It should be taken away from the
Treasury Department, for 1t Is not
a fiscal bureau. ..
Z: The supervising architect cos,
largely spent in the operation and
maintenance OF public buildings.
spent s1o,45s.ooo in 1928. Of which
$6.441,000 was for hospital facilities
land construction and $3,176.000 was
for other public buildings. This
amount is out by about 100000 in
4 the estimates Of 1924.
Refund Is Biggest Bureau Item.
| 8. Then comes the big internal
| revenue service. It iS the largest
| spending bureau in the Treasury De-
partment. A total of $172.502,000 was
spent in this ono bureau for the fiscal
huge amount s35.o12.O00 was in the
| expenses of collecting the internal
| revenue; a total of $9.072,000 was
i spent for the enforcement OF the
prohibition and narcotic acts. But
the big item is too big to miss. 1t is
! $125,887, ,086.46 for refunding taxes
| enormously collected.
What does this mean? Just this
| More than 100000 a day is handed
| back to different people in the United
States because the bureau has discov-
| cred that 1t has oyercharged them
| This item is estimated at s106,S75,-
| 600 for l924-also a huge sum- 1t rep
resents more than the total cost to
the Treasury of the State Department
Department of Justice, Department OF
Labor. Post Office Department and De-
partment of Commerce combined. And
| its is refund. This item needs spe.
cial attention. 1t deserves more than
ordinary mention. 1t should be much
| more carefully checked than II has
| ever been. 1t deserves some real
study. In this period Of vigorous in
vestigation I would suggest a com.
/ plete checking of this department O,
the internal revenue bureau, for either
there is gross incompetence in the
| collection of this. huge amount OIL
there is deliberate misappropriatior
in the refunding itself
To sum up: The vast and involved
work Of the Treasury Department to.
day is supervised by a cabinet mem.
| ber who draws $4,000 q year salary
The work is complex; it Is nation.
| wide. 1t may surprise us to know
that 55,4ll persons are employed in
\ this department. The total expendi.
lures for the fiscal year 1923 were
| $277, $4,000 The estimate for 1924
reduces this amount by about SIS.
/ 100000.
Rebates Make Up 55 Per Cent.
Can the Treasury Department cu,
| down on its expenses? In 1916 it had
| 3o,629 people at work. Today, over
| $4,000 people. Yes. but the revenue is
three times as large. The direct taxes
] collected are very much heavier The
, WV n 10 vastly STSdtGT. Leaving aside
, for the present the interest rate on
! the government securities. which is ir
| the hands of the Secretary of the
| Treasury, there are two places where
expenses in the Treasury Department
/ can be watched.
First, the appropriation for build.
| ing special vessels to protect us
| against prohibition violations at Sc.
| can well be cut. This work can bt
done by the Navy Department, ant
should be. Already it has been sug.
! gested that our idle Navy should
function in this matter, for it is 8
national question. We have the yes,
sells and we have the men. The Nav,
! should do it without extra expense
| Second. rebates in both the Gus
| toms bureau Of about s29,SoO. 900 anf
of over 1925. 100000 in the interna
| revenue department in tax refunds
Together they constitute over $155..
100000 OF the so-called expenses. OF
about 55 per cent of the cost of the
entire department for the year.
II taxes are cut, expenditures mus,
| first come down. 1t would seem a:
though this might possibly be a good
place TO begin using the fnancia
| axe. ="
tCppyrisht. 1924; IN United States and Gre.
Britain BY North American Newspaper Al
lance. AL rights reserved.)
| 1omorrow' One-eighth for tn,