The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-06-19

the greatest and richest corporation
In the United States. with all it's mills,
coal and ore mines. railroads. coke
ovens and furnaces were wiped out,
the amount congress appropriated
TO run the government for year
would restore everything.
II every building In Brooklyn, or in
other large cities was toppled over
by an earthquake, or destroyed by
fire, the loss would not be as great
as the annual expenditure Of the
United States.
congressman from Missouri put
the matter In a novel light.
THE appropriation this year." he
said, would take wagon train seven
and one-half miles long to transport II.
II loaded In 20.ton freight cars 1t
would Ali 92hof them and packed
on mems backs. $50 pounds to the
man. II would take 24,063 men to carry
next years appropriation"
The average workingman and farm
er earns about $500 year. One mill
ion. six hundred thousand men with
such earning capacity would starve.
go naked and shelterless to pay what
congress spends In q year.
AS rule. people are not closely
enough interested In political matters.
CT matters Of public importance. to
realize what such vast expenditures
mean. The majority. not being prop.
erty owners. think It is all right
they do not have to pay the tAxas--
II Is this mistaken idea that is re-
sponsible for appropriations being
made year after year without voice Of
protest from the people. The people
do not realize that they pay. every
man of them, their share Of the bill.
Ion. twenty.three millions appropriate
ed.
The cost OF living is high. This cry
Is heard In every part Of the country.
So are taxes high. This explains
why living Is high. People pay the
taxes In some form or other. They
pay them to the landlord. the butch.
or, the baker. the grocer. the brewer.
the tobacco merchant and dozens Of
others.
On the basis OF ave persons to q
family. the United States taxes ten
per cent OF the average earning Of the
average man. Add to this city taxes,
special taxes, and other municipal and
governmental expenses. and the work
ingman, who really pays the great
bulk of taxes, has pretty hard row
to hoe. Somehow. when congress is
appropriating by the tens Of millions.
It does not seem that. the working.
mems money Is being spent. However.
this IL true.
The consumer. Of course. does not
pay direct to the government. He
pays in shoes. clothes. rent. grocer
les and everything that he requires to
live The producers see that taxes are
included in the selling price OF pro-
ducts. II taxes were paid with money
and that money disappeared with
payment. the gold supply Of the coun-
try would disappear In two years.
tuberculosis Among Indians.
The government IL alarmed about
the Indians In Alaska. Their health IL
not Of the best. Forty-eight per cent OF
the Indians In Alaska are suffering
from tuberculosis, while practically
all of the children are suffering from
some disease or other. Captain Paul
G. Hutton. assistant surgeon Of the
United States, made a searching In.
vestigation and he has returned from
the far north TO recommend some re-
lief for the unfortunate Indians.
The only salvation for the red men
of the north" he says. rs TO send
instructors and medical men 20 that
they may learn sanitation"
...ltt he
The Indians In Alaska are not q clean
ly lot They are slow Intellectually
and have not had opportunities to
learn health laws. The ravages Of dis.
ease have been such that II Is seem
ingly a hopeless task to attempt to
give them any great relief. The white
plague Is sweeping through the tribes
with alarming rapidity and there are
no known methods OF stamping II out.
It is the future, though. that the
government must guard against and
to this end number OF physicians,
sanitary inspectors and instructors
will be sent to Alaska.
For Our Inform alton.
The national council of commerce
proposes to establish In Washington
an agency council FOR the dissemina-
tion throughout the country OF infor-
nation respecting domestic and for
eign commerce obtained by our for
eign consuls and local authorities.
Secretary Straus, OF the department
of commerce and labor, estimates that
the maintenance Of proper agency In
Washington will require an expendi-
ture OF about $4,000 a year. This
expense will be borne by merchants
and manufacturers and the amount as
sessed from each will be Insignificant
There is no medium today sufficient
ly comprehensive to properly take adj
vantage OF the valuable information
obtained by our representatives
abroad.
Ever see any OF those little pamph.
lets. containing consuls' reports?
They are mighty interesting The