The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-09-21

Cost OF MILITARISN

For the eight years preceding the
war with Spain our average annual
expenditure for the army was less
than $24.O00,000: for the eight Years
following the war the annual aver
, age ,leaped to more than SS3.000.0 900
and now for the current wear the
army appropr alton is $95.44O, 567.
The navy has done even better. For
the eight years preceding the Span
isis war. the average annual ezpendi-
ture was little more than S27 .500.-
900: for the next eight wears II
averaged $l02. 100000. and this
year the navy gets s131. 350.S5
Adding the navy appropriations
gives the sum of $226. 79l. Al. While
Is rather neat price to pay for
initiating the antics of those CHEST
dancers on he farther side e TIE
Atlantic. But that ism t all nv anv
means. To this sum must lie adSad
the current APPROPRIATION for I've
military academy $1.S56.249: tie ap-
preparation for forts and fortifica-
ions. S5.6l7.2OO: and the pension
appropriation of $155.65S.0OO max
ING a grand total IF $2OO.022.S $50 as
the cost of militarism for one wear.
CT al the rate of $l,06S.555 a day fo.
every day IN the year.
This enormous sum is paid out of
the United States Treasury. oene-
ficient institution which seems too
remote and intangible to concern the
average man But when YOU bear in
mind. as you should that even the
United States Treasury cannot paw
ont what it does not take in and
that its Unsuitable NAV is fed. but
never filed, from your pocket and
mine and from every one clse's the
matter assumes quite different
aspect. The reality of your contri-
button is in no wise affected by your
Inability to perceive when YOU pay
for it. Every mouthful You eat.
every thread YOU wear. every need
of your life. bears its tax which goes
to make up the vast aggregate of
Government expenditure.
Three hundred anu ninety million
dollars is 1924 per canita for the
inhabitants of the United States eX-
elusive of our possessions But
this counts in the women and chill
dren. The idle ord the i"cp-"o''i"t-
ed. Getting down to an average
for heads of families would multi
ply this per capita tax by FIVE. at
least, or $21.20 as the sum that
each head of family. speaking In
averages, must contribute out of his
earnings. whether he wants to or
not. toward the support of the army
and navy and the frills that 90 with
them this year. Next year the
forced contribution will be larger:
for the year after that still larger:
for the succeeding year larger yet,
for once the military craze gets
started there is no limit to its ex-
tIavaeancas.
MANY men consider themselves
lucky when they are able to squan-
der $2l on one suit of clothes. Lots
ef them do not Get that much for 4
week s work. Few can lose that
much. even in poker game. without
wincing, inwardly if not outwardlv
Twentv-one dollars would provide
porterhouse steak for two persons
for fcrty-two meals, or it would pay
the hired girl s wages for 2 month.
or it might pay the premium on
$1,000 life insurance for year.
Twenty-one dollars, in short. is a
most useful sum of money. Wien it
is multiplied BY 1s.400.000, tie num-
Der of families here assumed. It's
potentialities for good are almost IN
comprehensible.-From iilitarv
Naniaes.'' in October Technical
World Magazine.
Has Millions Of t'riueds.