The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-08
MIR. TAFT AND ECONOMY.

President Taft's recent and second
message of this year to congress on the
subject of economy in the conduct Of
the government is not attracting the
attention that it should. There Is too
much of the theatrical in the political
arena just now for most people to give
consideration to such a prosaic matter
as reducing the expenses of the nation
Yet it is of vital concern to every being
in the country. A good deal is heard
about the robbery of the people
under the tariff law. But when it comes
to putting things on the free list, the
Lawmakers have to devise ways and
means to make up for the big DELI
ciencies that will be caused il the ma
tionaI revenues by such action. Some
other kind of a tax has to be provided.
And no matter what kind of a tax is
created, there is always a way found to
make the plain people pay most of It,
So it is fair then to charge some of the
tariff robbery to the financial needs
of the government. And if there could
be material reduction in the expenses
of the government, something of nm
aneial burden could be lifted from the
backs of the people.
For many years past, a billion dollars
and more have been appropriated an
nualIy by congress for the expenses Of
the government. This is about $11
year for every man. woman and child
in the country. And thiT IS merely the
cost per person of conducting the fed
eral government Added to this are
local and state taxes. In Kansas, for
instance, Mr.. Fairchild, the state super
intendent of public education, is au-
thority for the statement that SIC, 100000
spent annually here for the purpose
of public education. This IS a per
capita cost to the people o. Kansas of
more than IS annually. Then come the
taxes for state expenses, the general
local taxes, county and city, and in
addition thereto the special local taxes
for all kinds of public improvements
1t will thus be seen that the aggregate
tax bill of, say a family of five, for
federal, state, county, city and special
purposes, gets up to rather enormous
proportions. But your reformer, your
square dealer, or your fnsurgent smiles
in derision when any suggestion is
made that one of the really big ques- |
lions of the day is the reduction of |
taxes.
Since the time of Grover Cleveland. |
Mr.. Taft is the first president who has |
paid the slightest attentio4- to the ex-
penses of the federal government. This
was a matter that Colonel Roosevelt
never touched during the two terms he
was in the presidency. And it was dur
ing his incumbency that congress be-
came extremely lavish in the expendi-
T0f Ia<@T
ever, appreciates the large Importance
of effecting a material saving in gov
ernmental expenses. Just before he re-
tired from public life. ex-senator Aid
rich, who, for many years, was chair
man of the senate finance committee,
expressed the opinion that if he were
given a free hand in the administration
Of the nations finances he could effect
the enormous saving of 5000, 900, 900 a
year, and without Gripping any depart
ment of the government. Wouldn't that
be worth while? And President Taft
would come pretty near turning the
trick if sufficient time is given him and
ne gets anything like the cooperation
from congress he deserves. In his mes
sage of the other day he insists that
SIC. 900 900 is wasted by the federal gov
ernment every year on account of two
men being employed in numerous in
stances where one could do the work.
President Taft's fight against the
ruthless squandering of the public
'unds by many millions and millions of
dollars a year entities him to the sup
BORT and encouragement of all men who
ire honestly minded that something
worth while be done for the rank and
lie of the people of the land.