The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-09-29
CAN WE STAND THE GAIT9

X/ESTERDAY The Evening Herald published an article from a re.
based upon statistics furnished him by the secretary of the ap-
preparations committee Of the national house Of representatives, show
ing that the peacetime cost of operating the government of the United
States under the Wilson administration is nearly $5.000O00O00 a
year, Al average cost Of $~l5OOOyOOO a day. This is against an aver
age daily expenditure of 100000 a day in 1914.
Something of the size of our government expenditures was out
lined to Albuquerque business men at a meeting of the Rotary club
some months ago by Senator Thomas Of Colorado who did not hesitate
to point out the need for a check and a speedy one. More recently a
widely known economist of Columbia university told a joint meeting
of the Kiwauis and Rotary clubs even more definitely of the dangers
we are facing through national extravaganza and unsound taxation
methods in the immediate years when a refunding of the great war
debt must be accomplished.
We have before us a bulletin Of a great New York banking house
which shows that Great Britain has reduced her national debt 294,
100000 pounds sterling since the beginning of the current year. The
the program outlined By the chancellor of the cxchequer for the pres
ent financial year, which began April LIST, calls for a balance of 1884,
This balance, " says the bulletin, sis to be obtained largely
Nothing like that is happening in the government of the United
States
Why is it not happening in our eountryf
What are we gcing to do about III
With the rest of the nation, we have been waiting patiently for
gram for checking national extravaganza. Senator Harding has said
~ ~ very Z, de- = ,eT%s %nd sr ne tb PROPOSES nSt;a1 70 do and how %%i6 he Pw ySpOs's to to
toed. lie has declared for reorganization Of executive departments
giant and unavoidable taxation system. He has pointed out a long
list of practical economies which can be effected without interfering
Candidate Cox has contented himself with trying to unload
n s~sndine' ' as snd Ss sup op . ss d esPusDi is not S0a ,Sa fsult our OF ,h SSaie %Sa
are. spending and have spent these billions Of. dollars. 1t is not the
money they must have to keep the government going. II is not the
fault of the administration which is responsible for those department
heads. The whole fault, he triumphantly declares, in with the repub-
lican congress which appropriated the moneys for the spcndcrs to
spend.
Is that the truth, or is it simply another evasionf .ai
In the first place. included in the five billions Of dollars which is
still the annual cost TO this country of conducting this government
there is about s., 000y000000 required to wind up the stupcndously
unsuccessful attempt of Nh. Wilson's administration to operate the
American railway system a = a government institution. These rail,
road contracts were in existence. signed, sealed and delivered when
the republican party took control Of congress. These contracts, il il
had been honorable and wise 10 avoid them, could not have been
legally voided by the United States congress.
In the second place, included in the five billions is about another
billion of dollars interest due on the money borrowed by Mr.. Wilson s
administration and spent by Mr. Wilson's administration during the
war. That war was over within a week after the republican congress
was elected. The armstce was signed months before the republican
congress took office. The republican congress could not have with
held this year or last year the appropriations needed to pay interest
I'm those debts incurred by the Wilson administration without com
pelng the United States government 10 default on its most sacred
financial obligations and forcing i: into the most scandalous of all
forms Of government bankruptcy.
In the third place, included in the five billions is a quarter of a
billion Of dollars for sinking fund purposes, etc, in connection with
that same debt incurred by the same Mr.. Wilson Is administration.
In the fourth place, the grand total Of all such expenditures coll
tracted for, incurred and carried out by Mr.. Wilson, administration
in connection with the war was more than two and three-quartcrs of
a billion out Of the five billion dollars.
And finally, Mr.. Wilson's administration submitted to congress
its estimates that II would need some two and thrce-quarter billions
more than the five billions it got. Mr. Wilson's administration asked
congress to give it that two and threequarter billions more TO spend.
Mr. Wilson's administration begged congress for it. II did every
thing ii knew how to do TO get out Of congress that additions. two and
three-quarter billions, hut it did not get it from the republican
congress.
This is the difference between the economy Of the appropri.tnp
republican congress and the squander Of the spending democratic
administration.
xvU ~ Y A MIC A @ ~sTU xyJOAt