The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-01-26
Iational Topics Interpreted


rhuckIe seem to be chuckling
about their loss OF
the election to the Democrats In
November, 1882. They are, or seem
to be, quite well satisfied at having the
country pick Franklin d. Roosevelt
over Herbert Hoover, and they seem
to be equally well satisfied that the
President has such vast majority In
the house and senate Of congress.
Campaign threats and promises just
will not down.. The victors have to
make good or the vanqulshed In poll
tics pick up the failures and call at
tention to them. Consequently, as con-
gress begins to grind away on the big
gest federal budget ever submitted in
peace time, the Republicans are find
ing juicy morsels to talk about. And
don't think they are overlooking op-
portunities to do SO!
All of which is by way Of leading
up to the fact that Candidate Roose-
welt told the country over and over
again in the fall of 1882 that he pro-
posed to cut government expenses by
one-fourth. He started out like he in
tended to do it by compelling the ex-
ira session of congress to trim every
where, but the trimming seemed only
to cause fresh sprouts to shoot up,
and they constitute items of expendi-
lures that, when totaled, cause one to
wonder why the President ever made
his declaration as to reduction of ex-
penses while he was candidate.
Nine months of the Roosevelt ad-
ministration have elapsed; nearly ten
months are passed, but official figures
are available for only nine complete
months, and so we have to rely on
those. And the expenditures keep on
going In the general direction of the
sky.
Assuming that the previous admins
tration should accept responsibility
for commitments that were fulfilled In
expenditures made prior to the end Of
the fiscal year that ended in June,
1888, we can analyze figures from
July to December 81, or half Of
one fiscal year over which Mr.. Roose-
welt has had complete control. The
total outgo from the treasury during
those six months was $2,621 $40, 537.
In the corresponding six months of the
previous year, or from July to De-
cember 81, 1882, the total outg0 was
$2,659, 3O5,964. These figures are TAX
en- from the treasury's official state
ment of condition and they cannot be
wrong.
do not know whether Mr.. RoOse-
velt's reference to the % per cent re-
duction was meant
Little Change only to apply to
in Outgo what he calls aordl-
as distinguished from those payments
that are used in the emergency spend
ing. II that be the case, the assertion
that the expenditures would be cut by
one-fourth was not understood by a
good many people, including myself.
Further, If that was the application,
IuCu CdA dSA Olly WAdL hAS OOOA oN
complished by cutting one item and
increasing another so that the total
is approximately the same over the
six months under review?
The figures for the six months show
that for Ordinary" governmental
costs, the outgo was $1,466, 045, PA,
whereas for the six months ending De-
cember 81, 1882. the ordinary" ex-
penditures were $2,1S2,172,342. There
has been no Is per cent reduction
there, either, although it still is posi-
BILE for accomplishment of that prom
Use before the current fiscal year ends
next June 80.
1t happens that through more than
a decade have been In close contact
with the treasury and government
financial questions, generally. Through
that period and for two score years
before, there was no material change
in the form In which the treasury pub
lished its fiscal condition statement, a
daily statement. But Mr.. Roosevelt
brought about change. He contend
ed, and with just grounds, that the
expenditures for relief from the de-
preston constituted outgo that will
not recur each year. 1t is the Presi-
dents view, therefore. that the relief
expenditures should be accounted for
separately. He chooses to call them
"capital expenditures" So the change
In the treasury's statement shows the
''ordinary" expenditures Of the regu-
lar governmental agencies such as the
executive departments, congress. the
White House. and permanent bureaus,
boards and commissions, and itemizes
the capital expenditures" separately.
His budget that was sent to congress
when It convened was reflection of
this view. There was the Ordinary
budget and then there were the cap
ital expenditures" We actually have
two budgets for our government now.
yet as said earlier. the expenditures
of the government must be totaled
eventually. and that total must come
out Of the taxpayers pockets. call
n