Evening star., 1927-12-07


that more than a quarter of a million
persons sought Federal employment In
1927. when the number of vacancies
wa only 3S,700. All our investiga-
tioyaa show that in places paying less
than $4,000 to $4,000, the rate of pay
by the Government is higher than In
comparable places in private employ.
The budget under the national de-
tense program calls for a total of ap'
proximately $645 900, 900. which in.
cludes an increase of $4S,000,0 900 for a
larger Navy. Under this program work
would be carried forward on all prof
ects authorized by Congress, with the
exception of submarines and IL de-
stroyers authorized in 1915, for which
mo funds are desired at this time, "
the President said. In explaining the
Navy building progrom, the President
continues;
Funds for Air Program.
"Navy craft under construction in
1929 will comprise two submarines and
eight cruisers, of which two will be
practically completed in 1929-the
Pensacola and Salt Lake City. Ample
funds are provided in the estimate for
the modernization of the battleships
Oklahoma and Nevada. in accordance
with the approved modernization pro-
gram. Necessary funds are provided
TO carry out the third increment of
the five-year air program. 1t is eX-
pected with the funds recommended,
the Navy at the end Of the coming f1s-
cal wear will have 696 planes of the
900 final total contemplated in the
program approved by the Congress.
Additional funds are also recommend
ed for the lighter-tha ship. Tor
which Congress has already appro-
priated 5000, 900"
The budget estimates for the Army
contemplate a Regular Army OF 11S,'
750 men with $4,000 officers. 10000
trainees for the Citizens Military
Training Camp, 1878 traineeS in the
Organized Reserve, 125,000 cadets in
the Reserve Officers Training Corps
and National Guard strength Of
1SS,000 men.
The total availability asked for
Army housing in 1929 is $7,115,000. in
cluding contract authorization. There
is carried in the supplemental esti-
mates for 1928, the sum of $6.l66.0Oo
for Army housing, that being the
amount which failed of enactment IN
the second deficiency bill in the last
Congress. This makes total avail
a BILE in the two estimates of $13;2Sl,-
900, and completes the authorizations
so far made by Congress for this pur-
pose, the President points out. In ad-
dition thereto the amount recon-
mended for repair and maintenance
of barracks. quarters. sewers, roads
and water systems amounts to $l0,-
44O, 900, an increase of S1,672,50O over
available funds this current year.
Included in these estimates also IS
an increase of $2,000,000 over the 1928
for ammunition. Estl-
mates for the Army Air Corps provide
for the second year increment in the
five.year program looking toward l.
500 airplanes at the end Of the five
years.
Particular attention to the Air Serv-
ice is paid by the President in his
budget message, in which he points
with pride to the Federal operation or
the Postal Air Mail Service and calls
attention to how the various depart
ments of Government are employing
airplanes, emphasizing that under the
budget program at the end OF the
next fiscal year more than 10000 miles
Of airways will be lighted.
Wisdom of Policy Cited.
1--WE have proceeded sufficiently far
in our Air Service program to show
the wisdom of the legislative policy
with regard to this important and de-
veloping line Of Federal activity" the
President said. ''Under this policy
the needs of the Federal Government
are being met with orderly stimulation
of private industry. The appropria-
tions of the past as well as the esti-
mates now submitted are all in furth-
erance of this policy. Our procure.
ment Of aircraft and accessories Is
from private industry. This is as it
should be. We have gone further
than this. Private industry is now
operating by contract our entire
Postal Air Mail Service. We now have
13 contract mail routes in operation
and seven others under contract with
a. view to their early operation. We
can point with pride to the Federal
operation of the Postal Air Mail Serv-
ice. Such operation was necessary in
the beginning. We can point with
equal pride to the turning OF that
service over to private industry for
operation under contract. That has
resulted largely from the policy which
this Nation has been pursuing in air
navigation. That policy. probably
InOT0 lLtdu dUy OilC OtASk Ah1AC
possible the handling of this business
by private enterprise.
"In the realm Of navigation by air,
I have mentioned elsewhere the pro-
vision made in these estimates for
carrying on the five-year programs
for the Army and Navy. In our civil
work the Coast Guard, the prohibition
service and the forest service are also
operating airplanes. The Department
of Commerce is also using planes in
it's air navigation work. Provision
for all of these is made in the esti.
mates herewith submitted, which also
carry funds for further development
of our lighted airways. With regard
to this latter Federal function. the
end of the next fiscal year under the
estimate herein submitted should see
more than 10000 miles Of lighted air.
ways"
Frowning upon any increase in
Federal aid to State projects and de-
claring for careful study to curtail
such Federal participation, President
Coolidge explained the estimate of
81 los, 900 in the budget for the promo
ton of the welfare and hygiene Of
maternity and infancy to close out
six years OF demonstration work by
the Government. II refer to this
estimate for two reasons" the Presi-
dent said.
1.-THE first is. that the authorization
for this appropriation expires with the
fiscal year 1929. The second is, that
it marks the termination of Federal
contribution to a project which Is for
State control and administrat ton. The
extension for two years Of the pro-
visions of the act for the promotion Of
the welfare and hygiene of maternity
and infancy was approved with the
understanding that its administration
during these two added years would be
with q view to the discontinuance OF
Federal aid thereafter. Six years of
experience under the able administra.
ton that has characterized the Gov
ernment's policy warrants this per-
manent withdrawal Of Federal aid, as