The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-06-24
SOME REASONS FOR DISCON-
TENT.

there is an industrial restlessness
| abroad that bodies no good. Even
President Taft, in one of his more
recent speeches, indicated his fears
that an industrial crisis may at no
distant day again disturb the public
tranquility. James ]. Hill recently
advised railroad men to be circum-
spect in their expenditures and make
provision for a rainy day" But, of
course, Mr.. Hills utterance was
prompted by the enactment of the
railroad bill by the present congress.
1t is noteworthy that notwith-
standing the mutterings of discon-
tent, the expenses of government
keep growing apace. The 61st con-
gress, which is now closing it's sec
ond regular session, has made ap-
preparations reaching the staggering
sum of 100000, 000-an appro-
priation exceeding by $36,000,000
the amount made by any preceding
congress. This bill carries with it
an appropriation of 500, 100000 for
the erection of public buildings and
| the purchase of sites (of which, by
the way, Wenatchee gets $10,000)
in order to help congressman to
stand we'll with their constituents.
In these constantly increasing ex-
penditures, the cost of public defense
helps swell the total. In the years
1S90-1898 the annual cost of army
and navy was s51.0OO,OOO. In the
years 19O2-191O the annual cost has
risen to $185, 100000, more than
three times as much, and the end is
not yet. 1t was with difficulty that
an appropriation of $20,00O,0O0 was
obtained to complete reclamation
and irrigation projects now under
construction in the west, but little
trouble was encountered in getting
an appropriation for some s15,0O0,-
900 to provide for the construction
of two battleships and subsidiary
vessels.
The average man who feels the
increasing cost of living naturally
inquiries whether there may not be
some relation between the cost of
living and the growing government
expenditures. In 1907 England had
four dreadnaughts, while Germany
had none. In 1910 each of these
powers had seven, and by 1913 each
will have Is. The United States will
have eight. In the United States
dreadnaught costs $6,000,00O. In
England and Germany there is dis
tress among the working classes; in
the United States there is discon-
tent
Of course, here in the United
States, where there is a protective
tariff, nobody contributes anything
to the support of the general gov
eminent unless it be the fellow who
drinks beer and whisky american
brewed and distilled), or smokes ci
CARS and chews tobacco Except Piper
Heidsic-that's made in France) and
consequently we can indulge in the
luxury of a battleship or two or
S20,00O,00O public building appro-
priation bill, but it must be hard on
the fellow in England, where there
is no tariff, to be compelled to dig
up to help pay for the 16 battle
ships and their maintenance.
With these constantly increasing
public expenditures, the ultimate
consumer in the United States may
sometime get it into his noodle that
when Bellingham, for instance, gets
an appropriation for a s325,000 fed
eral building he is helping to pay
for it. The laboring man who buys
IS to 25 cent steaks has this fact
strongly impressed upon his mind.