Evening star., 1933-12-14
Bill-Paying Time Approaching.

Blll-Paylng lime Approaching
New deal costs are now occupying
the attention of the President and his
advisers in preparation for the submis-
zion of 1885 budget estimates, along with
the emergency expenditures necessary
to carry forward the extraordinary
forms Of relief aid. The normal main
tenance costs of the Government for
ls35-now figured at about S2,600,000,-
oOo-become of secondary interest and
Importance. 1t is the expenditure of
the billions outside the regular budget,
for such activities as the C. w. A. the
P. w. A.. the r. F c., the C. c. c.
and the E. R. A. that creates most
interest because of its ultimate effect
on the taxpayer. So far there has been
no trouble arranging the music for
the fiddler to play. Paying the fiddler
will come next.
According to the latest estimates,
which are mere guesses Of minimum
charges, Congress will be asked to ap-
propriate between five and six billion
dollars at its coming session. This
amount includes the ordinary running
expenses of the Government, but these
represent less than half of the total.
And all the expenditures will not fall
within the fiscal year 1885. Some of
them must be had for use during the
remainder of the current fiscal year.
AS soon as Congress meets it must
be prepared to decide the immediate
fate of one of the latest forms of emer-
gency aid-the Civil Works Administra-
ton, which, by next Saturday, accord
ing to White House estimates, is ex-
pected to have four million men on the
pay rolls. The money for this under
taking will last until about the middle
Of February. The authorities are now
reported to believe that $3.50, ,000.0
more must be furnished to carry on
the Civil Works Administration until
about the middle of May, when the
plan is gradually to disband the workers.
Such plan, of course, must contemplate
business revival that will find many
of the four million workers now on
Civil Works Administration pay rolls
getting into private employment. The
abandonment of the C. w. A. is gen.
orally recognized as a much greater
problem than its creation.
The Civilian Conservation Corps
funds must be replenished by Congress
to keep the men at work in the woods.
The additional cost of this project is
now estimated at about $500, 900 900,
some Of which must be had in the cur
rent fiscal year.
A quarter of billion dollars is con-
sidered the minimum amount the
Emergency Relief Administration can
get along with. This agency for direct
relief-which was supplemented by the
creation of the Civil Works Admins
tration-started out with a half billion
dollars last Spring. If the reduction in
the proposed allotment indicates the de-
creased demand anticipated for emer-
ing. But that is yet to be determined.
The Public Works Administrations
allotment for the next fiscal year has
been tentatively set down at S1,875, ,0OO,-
0o0-which compares with the $780,
100000 given the P. w. A. for the
current year, and which is almost ex-
hausted. The Public Works Admins
tration, however, has applications be-
fore it which, if granted, would require
an additional three billion dollars next
year. 1t is probable that these will be
pared, of course, and the continuation
Of the Public Works Administration
plan for aiding recovery depends largely
upon what Congress thinks about it.
1t may be abandoned for some other
form Of aid, or it may be strengthened
and given more billions if its contri-
button to recovery is found to have
been worth while
The r. F. c., which has received
about $450,00000 from the Treasury
this year, must receive further allot-
ments next year. No statement has yet
been made Of the anticipated require
nents Of the Tennessee Valley Au-
thority.
For the current fiscal year Congress
appropriated a total of s7,648, ,703 900,
including the emergency appropriations.
A six-billion- dollar budget for next
year would represent a decrease. But
some of the members of Congress are
talking in terms of ten billion dollars
for 1885. 1t may be that they know
only too well what they are talking
about