Evening star., 1932-05-02
BUDGET INCREASE
FACTS ARE ASKED
Bureau Prepares Compari-
son of Government Expenses
for 1927 and 1892.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Members Of Congress. who have been
flooded with letters from business men
during the past 10 days asking why the
Government cannot live within its 1927
budget. which was less by more than
$1,231 100000 than the budget for the
fiscal year ending next month, have
asked the Budget Bureau for COM
parison Of the expenditures.
The bureau in reply has made an
analysis Of the fiscal years 1927 and
1882 and has shown the relationship
item by item to the proposed 1888
budget. The analysis reveals that the
depression was accountable for prac-
tically all of the increase and that Con-
gress is still faced with the problem of
deciding whether the tide of unemploy-
ment should be stemmed BY expendi-
lures for public works, construction and
veterans relief, which three items reveal
total increases of $772, 1000 900 in the
1888 budget as compared with the 1927
figures.
Memorandum Issued.
The memorandum from the Budget
Bureau says )
In a recent printed circular letter
issued from the executive Offices of a
prominent industrial corporation, oom-
pariSon is made between the Federal
expenditures of the fiscal year 1927 and
the estimated expenditures of the fiscal
year 1892. The letter deducts from the
total expenditures of each of the two
years the interest on the public debt
and sinking fund payments, together
with certain miscellaneous items, and
arrives at balances expended by the
major departments and commissions,
$3,195, 100 00o for 1882, an increase of
SI,23l 100000.
"It Is to be noted that the compari-
son is made between a year in which
expenditures were the lowest since 1917
and the estimated expenditures of a
peak year, when unusual expenditures
were being made during the emergency,
in the interest of agriculture and in
aiding employment through an extern
Sive enlargement Of the public works
program, increased vessel and aircraft
construction and similar activities in
volving employment in various depart
ments.
For example, in 1927 the expendi-
lures for public works were approx
mately S198,000,0C0; the estimated ex-
penditures for that purpose in 1882 are
S623, COO, 900, an increase of $435, ,000,-
900. This public works item includes
the Federal-aid highway system in the
Department of Agriculture, the enlarged
public building program in the Treas
ury Department, as well as river and
harbor and food control work and
other non-military construction ac--
tivities in the War Department.
Other Increases Shown.
"Other increases over 1927 are: Agri-
cultural marketing fund, 100000;
postal deficiency, S167, 900, 900; vessel
construction and alteration in the
Navy, and Shipping Board construc-
tlon loans, S75,000,000; aircraft con-
struction and aeronautical activities In
the Army, Navy and Department Of
Commerce, $47000, 900; care of veter-
ans, including adjusted service certifi-
cate fund. S24600O 900; settlement of
war claims act 1928 in the Treasury.
S37 900, 600
These increases account for substan-
TALLY the whole Of the increase OF
ST .231, 900 referred to in the letter
with the exception of about $69 ,0oo, 600,
which represents the net amount OF in
creaSes and decreases scattered through
out the various departments, and Is
largely for such purposes as aids 10
agriculture. strengthening the activities
of the Department of Justice in the de-
lection and prosecution of crimes, in
providing better facilities at penal in
stitutiors, increased expenses OF the
Department Of Commerce in completing
the decennial census Of 1890, immigra-
ton and naturalization activities in the
DEPARTMENT of Labor etc
Because of these unusual activities
in the fiscal year 1882, fairer COM
parison with the 1927 figures is the esti-
mated expenditures Of 1888 as con-
tained in the budget submitted in De-
cember last. Using the same items as
were used in the comparison of 1882,
| the increase would be approximately
s772,000,oOO, as compared with $780,
| 100000.
Increases Accounted For.
Looking into the causes of this in
| crease as is done above in 1882, the in
| crease is accounted for by approx
mately S273,000,000 in public works;
| $l5,e00,0 900, agricultural marketing
| fund; $l28,000 900, postal deficiency;
! S45 100000, vessel construction and al
terations in the Navy and Shipping
Board construction loans; $36,000,0 900,
| aircraft construction and aeronautical
| activities in the Army, Navy and De-
partment OF Commerce, and $243, ,000,-
| GOO, care OF veterans, including ad-
-1usted service certificate fund, leaving
an increase in 1888 of only So, 900. 900,
which represents net amount Of small