Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1920 — COST OF GOVERNMENT [ARTICLE]

COST OF GOVERNMENT

In considering the charges of extravagance that are being made, there is one thing that should be borne in mind, and that is that 78 per cent of the nation’s expenditures are. directly chargeable to war account. But for these, the people would be called on to raise for the present year, ending with next June, only $1,024,219,917. The war bill is $3,835,670,410, the total appropriations amounting to $4,859,890,327. We shall spend almost four times as much for war purposes as for purposes of peace. Of course, there was much extravagance in war planes and cantonment construction and such things, but war means waste. It is disgraceful that in a civilized world nations should be forced to spend unproductively such vast sums of money. All parties should determine to stop this thing, or try to do so at least, through a league with our allies.

In the civil appropriations are included more than $400,000,0dd for the postal service. So the expenditures for the government would be considerably less than were it not for the war Items. The cost of past wars must be met, so that there is little probability that this generation will get much relief from the terrible burden of taxation. The important question is ‘whether we think it good business and wise statesmanship to add to tfiat burden. Those who are rather disposed to sneer at Idealism ought to be Impressed by the practical considerations that are involved fa these figures. The later congress appropriated—and very, wisely—s4lß,232,382 for the military establishment, and $437,724,580 for the naval establishment, a total of $855,956,960. This is practically as much as was appropriated for the government—counting out the postal 'appropriation —on its civil side. What is the sense in complaining about taxes as long as we make it necessary sor 1

the government to buy protection for itself and us at such an enormous cost? These taxes are as truly paid the people —as happily, thanks to u the income tax law, they now under- , stand —as are the city and state * taxes which give them such great concern. But a remedy may be found in a league of nations, which provides for and makes -possible a reduction of armaments. A disarmament commission has already been formed, but* it can doI little as long as the United States remains out of the league. Our non-partlcipatlon makes it impossible for us to reduce taxeSt and also makes it necessary for other nations to look for protection to armament rather than agreement. In a Washington dispatch to the News of yesterday was this: As long as it (the American government) continues to vote millions to be used in the manufacture of implements of war the other nations of the world will do likewise; because of the attitude of the United States toward the league of nations the world is rapidly drifting back to where it was in the spring of 1914. This is a good thing to remember when one writes his income check tomorrow and recalls that 78 per cent of the money goes for war purposes. Business men are justly complaining of burdensome and vexatious taxes, aqd demanding their repeal. It seems Incredible that out of every dollar that is taken by the government from the citizens 78 cents goes for war purposes. Yet such is the fact.’ Here, too, is one of the causes of the high cost of living, which works such hardship on all. Taking no account of the cost of past wars, we are spending almost $1,000,000,000 a year as insurance against future wars. Business men, as well as all others, ought to welcome the league of nations ae at least holding out a hope for a partial solution of our taxation problem.-r-Indianapolis News (Rep.).