The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-04

the country during the last half
- century, the growth In the size
and importance of the government has
been out of all proportion greater. Its
functions have multiplied, the scope of
field of its activity inconceivably ex-
tended. Whereas, half q century ago
indeed, a generation ago-a citizen was
conscious of his connection with. the fed
eral government seldom except when he
went to the postoffice, voted for a con-
gressman once every two years, or re-
fected on the basis of the value of his
money. today he feels its hand practical
ly every moment of his life-whenever
he opens his mouth for food or drink,
whenever he boards a train, whenever
he makes purchase, or has reason to
prognosticate the weather.,
An article in The Worlds Work for
April by William Bayard Hale shows
some of tho diverse activities of the
great machine of which Mr.. Wilson has
just taken charge. Today the govern
ment over which he comes to preside
is an affair of such magnitude; the ex-
tent, the size, the Importance, the reach,
the diversity of the duties of the Presi-
dency have in the course of our ma
tional evolution become so prodgious;
the White House at Washington has be-
come the centre of SO great a system,
an organization, an authority, unprece-
dented in the history of political institu-
tions-that Mr.. Wilson, in taking up the
task they impose. did well to fortify his
oath with the customary devout invoca-
ton of superhuman aid in the words
with which George Washington. with far
less reason, began his terms $50 help
me God"
In 1856, when Woodrow Wilson was
born, the United States We're "a; today
they are 4s. Then, we possessed no out
lying territory. Today, we have Alaska,
Porto Rico. the Panama canal zone. the
Philippines. Guam, Hawaii. and the Tu-
tuila islands-more than 5000 islands, Our
population then was 2s,O0o,oO0 now it is
10000
In 1856 the country possessed 1900
miles of railroads; today 250,0O0. Then
not a telegraph instrument clicked not
telephone bell tinkled. That year the
people of the United States spent $1,000
00e for postage stamps; this year we
shall spend $3.50, 900 00O-and stamps are
cheaper, too.
Under Franklin Pierce an attempt to
Classify the civil service enumerated
establishment of the United States num-
bered about $1,000 people Under Wood
row Wilson the civil service has passed
beyond enumeration: no complete regis
ter of it is attempted, but In its last
report the civil service commission re-
cords 2S6,061 in the classified service, and
counts 395,46O civil employes-not to mem
ton more than 10000 others whose whole
time is not taken by the government.
More than half million men and wom-
en- are required to carry on the activities
over which President Wilson is chief
superintendent-145,OO0 more to fill the
ranks of the army and navy. The civil
salary list under Pierce was $50, 900
a year; today it is 20 Zines s2o,Ooo,OOo.
When the present President was in his
cradle, the President of the day an
swered his own letters. Today the White
House staff includes 40 secretaries and
clerks.
The year in which Woodrow Wilson
was born, the expenses of the United
States government amounted to SIS, ,647,-
III In 1912 its cost was s9O1 ,29797s. The
SsOOoO,oOo; last year they amountes to
s970,oooOo0.
Even in the year that Woodrow Will
son attained his majority the govern
ment in which he then attained to
voice was an affair for which Congress
was called on to appropriate only $685.
100000. Last year 1t appropriated more
than H,OOO'000000. 1t was only yesterday,
only dozen years ago, that the cry.
"a billion dollar Congress-" startled the
country. Nowadays a Congress spends
two billions.
These are but swift and desultory
glimpses at few of the multiplicate and
diverse works in which the government
of the United States is engaged They
of the task which Woodrow Wilson now
takes up.
The President Of the United States to-
day is second to no sovereign as force
in International affairs. The friendship
OF our government is wooed assiduously
by the other great powers; many a start
ling story could be told of offers sent
by European and Asiatic chancellors to
Presidents and secretaries of state SO
long as we remain in possession of the
philippines we are necessarily involved
in the vastest and most delicate rivalries
OF the powers. So long as anarchy is
permitted to reign in Latin America we
are exposed to dangers from every source
Of state was premier IN the cabinet only