The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-09-26
GOVERNMENTAL EXPENDITURES.

When few years ago the American people
were astounded at the appropriation of billion
dollars by the national congress, the speaker of
the house announced that the United States had
become a billion-dollar country, which remark was
very gratifying to the vanity of the American peo-
pie. Nevertheless, and Notwithstanding the gra-
tilted vanity of the American people, it takes the
earnings of anywhere from a week to month for
the average man to pay his proportion of the annual
expenses of the national government.
The official figures for the past four years have
been issued showing the total appropriations to ag
gregate only little less than three and a half
billions Of dollars, or approximately thirty-four
million dollars than were appropriated during
the four years of civil war. And the appropria-
tons of the last session of congress are the largest
ever made by congress in times of peace
In an article prepared for the New York World
by Senator Allison, chairman of the senate com
mittee appropriations, that venerable statesman
showed that since 1888 there had come an annual
increase Of $510000O0 in the appropriation for the
support Of the army; an annual increase of $4,000
600 for the navy, and an annual increase of $780,
100000 for pensions. The total yearly increase in
these three items of expenditures alone is thus seen
to be $165000,00O The total appropriation for war
preparedness at the last session of congress was
more than $3SO,00O,OOO Figuring on a total popu-
lation Of S0,000000, this appropriation makes no
less than $4.75 for each man. woman and child in
America, and considering one in six as the head
of family the net cost to the householders is no
less than $3.50, or somewhat more than the ordi-
nary laboring man is able TO save free of expenses
in year, and at least half months salary of the
ordinary bookkeeper or clerk
Representative James A. Tawney chairman of
the house committee on appropriations, is quoted
saying that IS per cent of the net revenue of the
national government, exclusive of the postal re-
ceipts, is required to meet the cost of wars past
and prospective, And yet we hear no very strong
appeal being made by the political parties for econ
omy in public expenditures We are great ma
ton, and our national expenditures are an index
TO our prosperity. We rather like to know that
afford billion dollar congresses. and look
with scom upon those who would place a limit upon
those expenditures We don't like the penurious
person, and that is one reason the national ex-
pense account has grown with such steadness The !
indirect method of collecting this enormous sum
has made the people more or less Indifferent to the
way it is spent.
Economy in expenditure by the national gov
eminent, as well as economy of expenditure by in
dividuals at the present time is the most certain
means of restoring that prosperity which we seem
to have lost The national income needs not to
be increased, and the individual income needs not
to be increased if the cost of maintaining our
personal dignity and our national position as a
world power we're curtailed. We should like to
see the people Of the country take strong and
position against extravaganza of
every form. The salvation of the people and the
government lies in the economical administration
of their several affairs.