The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-02-22
ON FINANCIAL DRUNK.
United States Has Been Indulging in 1t
For Past Two Years.

News comes from Washington that
the government plans to spend $4,000
100000 this fiscal year and $l0000000,-
600 next year. The figures are stag
gering Twenty light thousand million
dollars
That means enormous taxes this year
and next and the year after, with bond
issues besides. Normally this money
would be available for the reconstruc-
tion and expansion of business. Only
fraction of the country's big income
goes for personal expenses. The bulk is
reinvested in productive industry. But
all the way from so to so per cent of
these incomes must now be diverted to
the government in taxes and a good
deal of the rest must be invested in
Liberty bonds for government purposes
not merely this year, but next year as
well.
OF course this is a tremendous handi-
cap on the nations prosperity. But no.
body would complain if the expenditures
were necessary and legitimate. What
hurts is the feeling that money is be-
ing foolishly spent and wasted.
Here are the railroads. Their latest
statement shows them to be in worse
financial condition than they were when
the government took them over, and this
in spite of great increases in freight
rates and passenger fares. Nobody would
be surprised to see a deficit of $780,
100000 to be made mp out OF taxes this
next year. Yet the administration is
asking for five years more of the same
thing
The navy department has suddenly
burst out with a ship building program
with the avowed purpose of beating Eng
land Germany has surrendered her navy
and the United States hasn't fought
England for hundred years and doesn't
expect to for several more. There seems
no particular reason for haste in ex-
panding our program beyond anything
our big navy" men had ever thought
necessary. Yet Congress is proposing a
naval appropriation bill carrying $780,,
100000.
Somebody has had the brilliant notion
of spending S400,000,00O at once on wa
terways. Nobody would be surprised to
see an. application for $I,000,000000 for
public buildings. So far as the country
knows the Creel bureau is still oper-
ating a hotel or two in Paris, and there
are all sorts of expensive bureaus that
we're devised during the war by per
sons with theories they desired 20 ex.
plot which are absorbing the coun-
try's money.
just to mention a specific instance Of
the lavish way in which money has been
handed out, the head Of one department
before the armistice, obtained $350,000
to investigate plans for industrial re-
construction. A month later the presi-
dent told Congress no plans were nee
essary. But he had not told the gen
tleman with the $35O0OO, who had been
busy spending it.
This country has been ON a financial
drunk for the last two years. 1t has
been necessary to spend money in I'M
dreamed OF sums on war equipment
People have become accustomed to talk
ing of billions where once they talked
Of millions. The result has been to
breed a general disposition for extrava-
gance in every department OF the gov
eminent.
Congress used to check up an item of
SlOO0O0U proposed Tor some department
and ask whether it was absolutely nee
essary. But where thousands of mil
lions are being spent, who cares for
such a fly speck as a million or a hun
dred billion?
The whole atmosphere of Washington
has been permeated with extravaganza.
There is objection from old-fashioned
conUressmen TO embarking on q naval
program Of Sl,OO0,0O0 a year to fight
shadows with The president cables a
dark and mysterious message on the ne
cessity of it. Only few favored souls
even see the cabIegram, Yet the House
committee unanimously recommends this
terrific expenditure.
Now the suggestion comes from Paris