Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1920-02-05
THERE MUST Be
A CHANGE SOON
UNCLE TED DECLARES PRESENT
ADMINISTRATION WASTING
THE PEOPLES MONEY

"Uncle Ted what do the newspa-
pers mean when they say that con-
gress is planning program of econ
omy?" asked Jack as he and his sis
ter and uncle were seated around the
big table after dinner.
"That is a question Jack, that can
be answered in a few words or can
tell you quite story about 1t. The
fact that congress is planning pro-
gram of economy simply means that
after the republicans came into pow
er in both the senate and the house
at Washington, they made up their
minds that they would save all the
peoples money they possibly could
Before, all during the war, even now
the various government departments
which, of course, are still under the
control of President Wilson and the
men appointed by him, have wasted
money right and left"
"But how can congress save this
money!" asked Ruth.
"In this way" answered her uncle.
Each year. every government de-
partment makes up a list of things
it will need for the following year,
with the cost; that is they tell con-
gress just how much money their
particular department wants. Then
those requests go to the various
committees of the house to be talk
ed about. While these committees
are talking about the requests, which
are made into the form of bills, they
have an opportunity to cut down the
amount of money asked for before
it goes to the house to be voted on.
That is what the present congress is
doing Another big help is the re-
publican legislative steering commit
tee OF the house, which lately has
been meeting twice week to hurry
the work of passing these bills and
at the same time cut down the
amount of money as much as posi-
ble This committee is determined
to hold down all appropriations (for
that is what these requests are call
ed because they do not want to
make it necessary for us to have an
other bond campaign"
Eyes, indeed they have, Jack.
When the rivers and harbors bill
was reported from committee 1t was
discovered that the committee had
cut down the estimates more than
$40, 900, 900 and left but $4,000
900 of the amount asked for. You
see the present administration, from
President Wilson down, instead of
helping congress save money so that
the people won't have to pay big
ger taxes and buy more bonds, keep
on wasting 1t and throwing it around
like so much water. That makes
the work of the republicans in con-
gress very hard. They know the
taxes are too high already and they
want to cut them down but they
simply can't do ii so long as the
democrats keep on wasting the peo-
pies money. Another saving was
made by the foreign affairs commit
Z, tee of the house. They reported
the diplomatic and consular appro-
priations bill with. total of S.
1 S43,03s which was more than $3.-
/ 900 900 less than the state depart
ment asked for. The house COM
mite on public buildings voted not
to have any public buildings built
this year. This means no new post
office buildings and court houses but
| 1t also means the saving of millions
| of dollars. When the appropria-
tions committee reported the second
I deficiency appropriation bin II car
ried a total of $99,894,S42 which
was more than $36, 100000 less
than the amount asked. Another
big saving will be made on the army
bill. Secretary Baker wanted a
peace army Of 100000 men but the
committee has cut down the number
to about ESQ, 900 men and this will
mean a big reduction in the amount
of money necessary for the army
during the next year.
"In order to give You some idea
of what these republican members
of the house are trying to do and
how they feel. I am going to read
you parts of letter written to me by
Representative Martin B. Madden Of
Illinois. Mr.. Madden is success
full business man and he is working
hard to save all theNmoney for the
people of this country that he can.
The cost OF living says Mr.. Mad
den, is out of all proportions to what
I think ii should be. I have spent
many sleepless nights in an effort to
see how a remedy can be found.
am firmly convinced, however, that
the remedy is not in legislation, ex-
cept to the extent that legislation ef-
fecting expenditures on the part OF
the government may reduce the cost
Of taxation and stabilize conditions.
The president, some time since.
thought he had remedy and came
to his congress and sought Iegisla-
tion which was promptly granted,
but the living cost instead of going
lower has gone higher every day
since. The trouble with legislation
on the subject of living costs is that
every time IL Is enacted the executive
branch of the government seeks
large appropriations to put their
remedies into force. That involves
the employment of lot of inspectors
and regulators who neither inspect
or regulate. and the only effect such
legislation has seems to be to in
crease the cost of living to the extent
that the appropriations are made to
cover the cost Of the execution OF
the law
"In another place in this letter he
says: The orgy of extravaganza
practiced by the present national adj
ministration has never hada counter
part NY hope was that when the
war was over there would be some
manifestation in the part of the adj
ministration to reduce expenses and
become economical. but in this was
mistaken: and while there were
hundreds of thousands of people on
the government pay roll as matter
of necessity during the war period, 1t
was my hope that the would be dis
missed as rapidly as 1t was possible
TO dismiss them after the war clos
ed. In this again was mistaken.
I have tried and am trying, In fact