Evening star., 1932-11-30

Such extensions of Federal activity
ran so fast and so far that very few
citizens, until lately, were familiar with
these latter-day ramifications of the
Government. Lately, however, these
innovations have come TO light with a
vengeance and are shining target OF
the economy drive
1t has been shown how the Govern
ment's interests range from fighting
bugs to raising reindeer; how 1t pro-
notes foreign commerce in Europe
Asia. Africa and South America; how
it runs hotels and pays the losses of
the air mail companies how 1t helps
the California vineyardiSts to make
wine concentrate. and how 1t aids in
dustraiists in improving the quality OF
their textiles, optical glass. radio equip
ment, building materials and what not
A good many of these somewhat ex-
traneous functions of the Government
doubtless might well be abolished, II
the alternative must be an increase OF
taxation on the overburdened Ameri-
can people. 1t is fact, however, that
the propagandists for economy have
assigned to such activities an alto
gether unmerited importance as re-
spects their responsibility for increas-
ing the total cost of Government.
Theoretical Cuts.
To determine the approximate cost
of such new-fangled Federal furbelows
the writer ran through the budget and
subjected them all to theoretical blue
penciling. He cut out all the Gov
ernment aids to industry. agriculture
and commerce and all appropriations
having to do with social improvement.
In the Department OF Agriculture he
abolished most of the Bureau of AMI
NAL Industry, all of the Bureaus of
Dairy Industry and Plant Industry,
part of the Forest Service, all of the
Bureaus of Chemistry and Soils, En-
tomology and Agricultural Engineer
ing. most of the Biological Survey and
Bureau Of Agricultural Economics, all
Of the Bureaus of Home Economics and
Plant Quarantine and all of the mis-
cellaneous investigations and projects,
including the departments participa-
ton in the Chicago Worlds Fair
When the job was finished all that
was left of the Agriculture Department,
besides its Federal aid to the States,
was the Weather Bureau, cattle inspec-
tion and quarantine, including tuber-
culosis eradication, meat inspection,
enforcement of the packers and stock
yards acts, administration of the ma
tional forests, game law enforcement
and enforcement of the cotton futures.
grain standards and warehouse acts
and the pure food and drugs act
In other words, all that was left was
law enforcement and four other fairly
essential looking activities. The re-
sultant economies" came to only sal
1888 out of total appropriation for
the department OF sl75,O00,000.
other Departments Studied.
The Commerce Department next was
subjected to the same sort of blue
penciling Here the writer abolished
the whole of the Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce, including its
Foreign Service, most of the Bureau Of
Standards, part of the Bureau of Fish
cries and much of the Bureau of Mines.
All that was left was enforcement of
the wireless communication law, regu-
lation Of aircraft, air navigation facili-
ties, the Census Bureau, steamboat in
spection and enforcement of the navi-
cation law, the actual standardization
activities of the Bureau of Standards,
the propagation and law enforcement
functions of the Bureau of Fisheries,
the Patent Office, prevention OF mining
accidents and rescue work and the pro-
duction of hehum. The total saving"
was s7,oo5 .28o out of total appropria-
ton of s39,711, ,4o8.
The same process was carried out
with the rest of the Government.
1t left the Labor Department shorn
of everything except the regulation Of
immigration and naturalization
1t stripped the Interior Department
Of all Of the geological survey and Of
nee OF education, and cancelled half of
the National Park Service It repealed
the air mail and ocean ship subsidies
in the Post Office Department and for
bade that department from continuing
to furnish free postage TO county news
papers, religious and fraternal organi-
cations and the blind.
Among the independent Offices
further havoc was wrought by totally
abolishing the Fine Arts Commission,
the Advisory Committee for Aeronau-
ties. all except the operating expenses
of the Smithsonian Institution and the
whole of the Federal Farm Board, ex-
cept, of course, its big revolving fund,
which, many fear, already Is gone be-
yond recall.
Saving Relatively Small.
The final grand total OF all these
economies" was $76,817,574, a large
sum, but relatively unimportant in re-
spect to what Is needed to balance the
budget. BY this analysis IL is not
meant by any means to imply that the
bureaus and offices abolished" includ-
ed all the Government functions and
services that might be dispensed with.
Neither is it implied that as a practi-
cal matter all Of them could or ought to
be abolished.
The intent Is merely to show that
economies capable OF fitting the Gov
eminent within its present income can
not be made by trimming away only
the so-called luxury services and aids
to business and agriculture, which thus
far have attracted most attention In
the economy drive.
One large category Of such aids not
included in those just mentioned for
"abolishment" Is comprised by the So
called Federal aid appropriations or
annual grants to the States. Since the
first OF these was started in 1911 to en-
courage the States to undertake forest
fire prevention, this department Of
Federal expenditures has grown tre-
mendously. The Government now ex-
tends to the States monetary aid in
maintenance of marine schools, agri-
cultural extension work, highway
ID dilliAlS 1Sn
tional Guard. vocational education,
preventing spread Of epidemic diseases
maintenance of agricultural expert
ment stations and industrial rehabilita-
| ton.
Highway Appropriations Large.
The total of these in this years ap-
preparation runs to something like
Sl60, ,000, 900 and some of them doubt
less might be discontinued in the in
terests of economy. The biggest item
Of Federal aid, however, Is the $108,-
100000 distributed this year for high
way construction, exclusive OF an ad-
ditional $13o,000,000 appropriated for
the same purpose in the emergency
construction act. A budget cut in the
| $108, 900 900 Is certain to be part Of the
anticipated presidential economies, but
prospects Of congressional approval OF
such a cut are colored by the fact that
this appropriation Is specially adapted
to furnishing employment.