Judsonia weekly advance., 1921-12-22
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union
WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED

WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED
 l wish you would take what is written here as a personal report ad- dressed directly to you from me about your business. Don't think of it or read 1t as an article about politics" or remote public affairs at Washing ton. It is not that at all. It Is what I ask you to think 1t, personal business report to you relating to your Individual concerns. your pocketbook and your welfare. I have no other interest than to tell you the exact truth.
 Assume that you have sent me to Washington to find out for you what your agents are doing, how they are your money. I call them your agents for that is all they are-the President, the members of the cabinet, the senators and all the members of the house of representatives. You hire them, you pay them, and you can fire them.
 You may think of them in deference and awe as group of eminent states men, or you may call them in flippancy and too nasty contempt "a lot of politicians" But whatever you call them, they are your hired men. They attend to your collective business, which Is called the public business.
 Query: Are they doing it efficiently and with single-minded devotion to your interests?
 Perhaps the largest item in the high cost of living is the high cost of government And far and away the largest item in the high cost of govern ment is the high cost of armament; preparation for war. About 90 per cent of all government revenues, and that means the money taken from you as taxes goes to pay for wars, past, present and future.
 Before I have concluded this series of articles I expect to show you con elusively that the impelling motive that induced President Harding to call the present conference in Washington to consider limitation of armaments was financial. The pressing need of considering a proposal for a reduc- ton or limitation by agreement of war expenditure was not made entirely on the ground of morality or righteous ness, but as a plan for cutting down the operating expenses of the govern ment.
 If the United States government were an individual we would say that 1t was broke, for its expenses exceed its income.
 Your interest is simply this: that whatever decision is made you will have to pay the bill. If today we didn't have these army and navy ex- penses you would have to pay in taxes less than S1 OOOOOO,0OO a year instead of $5,00O0OO.OO0. That means we would have about s4,0OO,OQO00O more year to spend on our private needs and pleasures. frankly confess that I would enjoy having foyr-hfths of my taxes knocked off. Wouldn't you?
 Secretary Weeks of the War de- partment gave public warning a little while ago that the government would require of us about SIT 100000 in I-tf1e next thirty months to meet cur rent expenses and other obligations. Persons who have given close study to that possibility say that the need will be nearer $2O,OOOOOO, than $17oO0,- GOO. The great bulk of that is for past and prospective war expenditures.
 For this, you and congress and the Executive departments at Washington are responsible. You more than any body else for it Is your money that is being spent and you can stop it. In its simplest terms the procedure Is this: You earn the money, congress takes it away from you in the form of taxes, and then congress and the Executive departments spend 1t.
 A great part of It Is wasted This is established, conceded. confessed, and acknowledged by congress, which authorizes the expenditures, and by the executive officers of the govern ment, who do the actual spending. It Is your money that you have earned in your business, on your farm. or by the labor of your hands. that is being expended ard wasted at Washington.
 Every cent that Is extravagantly or needlessly expended by the govern ment you could have in your pocket to meet the increased cost of food. lodg- ing and clothing, doctors bills and amusements, CT to put away and save against rainy day. if you only de- handed determinedly and unitedly that governmental extravagance should cease.
 can tell you some of the conditions of governmental spending and how your money Is chucked about, and I can toll you how you can stop it. The power is yours, and until you exer- else It waste and extravaganza will not stop.