Gunnison news-champion., 1914-04-24

the government should spend R0Uey
freely for those things which make fas
the conservation of human hfe end for
the promotion and wider diffusion Of
human happiness Therefore l voted
for larger appropriations for the work
Of the Children Bureau. for the study
and prevention of occupstional diseases.
for the adjustment of labor disputes.
for the distribution and informstioa Of
topics related to agriculture, horticul-
ture and stock raising for the pFeven-
ton of accidents in mining and Osbser
industrial occupations, for the constrsc-
tion Of good roads and many other gov
ernmenta activities which, to my mind.
had for their object the betterment of
the conditions Of mankind.
On the other hand have favored the
curtsiline Of expenses for these thiaGs
which might be described ~ the Guad
lace of government "a top-heavy
army and navy, increase in the nuasesr
of fat jobs in the executive depaSt-
ments. and additions to the perqsisits
allowed members of Congress-.
WHO PAYS THE BILLS?
A few illustrations will perhaps pseve
of interest to my readers. Right Aere
it may be well to state that the dOllors
disbursed by Uncle Sam do not grow IN
trees but every cent comes out Of TIE
pockets of the people.
In round figures it cost e700, 90, go
to run the national government sae
year. This is exclusive of the Postsf-
fee Department which is self -suppsrt-
ing.
We spend more money on our army
and navy than any other county in the
world except England and Russia. Our
expenditures are four times ~ great as
those of Japan and exceeds Germany's
by go, 00O, 900, yet we are constantly
met with the demand for more dread
naughts and . larger army.
In the last ten years we have spent
more money preparing for war and en-
deavoring to repair the damage done
by the conflicts in which we have en-
gagged in the past than has any other
nation. This is an appalling record and
think we should be heartily ashamed
of it.
| do not believe that the American
people would stand forit if they were in
possession of all the facts. Unfortun-
ately not one man in ten has the sligh-
test conception of the kings ransoms
which we are pouring every year into
the rat hole of militarism. | find that
even members of Congress have not
stopped to study the figures.
SAVING THE BABIES
Some of the men who were foremost
among the champions of a big navy and
army threw up their hands in horror
the other day when some of US insisted
on increasing the appropriation for the
Children's Bureau. They said we we're
looting the treasury.
II This bureau was organized two wears
ago and charged with the duties of sip-
vestigating and reporting all matters
pertaining to the welfare of children
and child life" That is pretty bio
contract and Miss Julia Lathrop was
given s25, $40 with which to execute if
This sum was just sufficient to meet the
pay roll of the Washington office of the
Bureau, and 1t left nothing for field
work-the employing of experts. travel
ing expenses, etc. A few weeks AGO
Miss Lathrop went before the Apron
ration Committee with a comprebep-
slve program for the coming year and
asked for an increase of s139, 600 in bsr
appropriation.
Among other things she pointed out
that 300, 900 babies less than a wear old
die IN this country every year, and she
showed by the testimony of experrs
. that half of these deaths were tr.co
able to preventable causes. She pIesd-
ed to be allowed to enter upon thu
work of saving the innocents. but the
committee turned her down and Serras5
mat she should sit in her Wsshingtan
Office for two years more with nothing
to do except draw her salary.
1t Is not an easy matter to overthrow
the powerful Appropriation Committee
but We did it, and in doing it we smash
ed party lines beyond hope of recoeni-
ton. We gave Miss Lathrop ever.
cent she asked for and if she r,.l,,s- =.
record that We all think she will We
VIII give her more next time. If tbers
rs any way Of saving some of those 3oa-
op babies we want her to find il and
We Know the people viii cheerfuIlv nav
the bill.
The MILEAGE GRAFT
While We were reforming. We knob