The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1910-07-21

to horses and carriages and has dis
carded horses altogether and uses an
automobile.
| saw an advertiser in a news
paper some time ago saying that the
President had bought new white
steamer" automobile, and that the
manufacturers were prepared to fur
nish duplicates of the Presidents
machine for $4,000. AS we all know,
the President does not use this ma
chine in touring the country, but
uses it occasionally on the asphalt
streets Of Washington, and with such
use the cost of maintenance would
not exceed $500 per year; but sup
pose it should reach $1,000 per year,
this would make the automobile and
repairs cost $4,000. I would then
ask, Mr.. Speaker, what is done each
year with the balance Of the appro-
priation, amounting to $4,000?
Then take the cost of keeping up the
greenhouse. So far as | am con-
cerned, l want it kept up and main
tanned in excellent condition, and [
want the President to have all the
flowers he can possibly use, and I am
willing to vote for an appropriation
sufficient to do this, but it does not
require an expert accountant nor a
great statesman nor business man
of wide experience to know that an
appropriation of $4,000 is about
three times too much for this pur-
pose. More than $4,000 could not
possibly be expended in caring for
the greenhouse unless it was abso-
lutely wasted. Mr.. Speaker, I have
gone over the expenditures of the
Executive Department very carefully
and [ am willing to risk my reputa-
ton as a practical business man when
[ make the statement that the ap-
preparations for this department can
be reduced at least $4,000 per year
without depriving the President of
any Of the comforts or Injuries which
properly belong to the White House.
We should not forget that these
expenses are. kept up by taxes collect
ed from the people, and that the ma
jor portion of it is paid by men who
earn their bread by the sweat of
their faces. Under our system of in
direct taxation the common laborer
who earns $3.50 per day and who
supports family of four or five pays
uuOI0 IOWdIu IuuuluS Cu0 expenses OF
the Government than the millionaire,
who is too proud to raise a family
and has no children to feed and
clothe. This is an outrage, but since
it is true. we should see that our ex-
penses are reduced to the minimum
in order that the plain people may
have a chance to live. Just think of
it! A laboring man earning the
average wage of $3.50 per day would
have to work every working day in
the year for twenty years to earn
enough money to keep the President
in flowers for a single year, and if
he began when he was twenty-five
years of age and would live to be
one hundred years old and worked
every working day during the seven
ty-five years, he would not, receive
enough wages to keep the President
in automobiles for single year.
Mr.. Speaker, no business institu-
ton of our country would last thirty
days if it were run on the same basis
and with the same methods used in
the conduct of governmental affairs.
Under the proper system our depart
ments could be run for One-half what
they are costing today. The salary
force should be reduced to the needs
of the departments, incompetents
should be weeded out, and men
should not be given places because