Milford chronicle., 1921-12-16
Copyright, Western Newspaper Union
MAGNITUDE OF BILLIONS

MAGNITUDE OF BILLIONS
l have been throwing the incredibl,
figures at your head. Neither you mol
anybody else has the faintest cOncep
tion of what one billion dollars really
is. We speak familiarly of billions as
a commonplace, but most of us live
our lives in terms of hundreds.
1 have shown you that every one
of us, man, woman and child, in this
country, paid last war $53.77 each
toward the support of the government.
Of course, every person does not pay
exactly $53,77, A great many pay
more and some pay less; hut those
who pay the most try to take it out
Of those who pay the least by increas-
ing the prices of what they have to
sell, or of services rendered or work
performed, so that it. averages out at
S33.1. Some pay more than their
share. others pay less. This is called
an incident of taxation. The whole
point is that we all pay; that we pay
now more than we ever paid before;
and there is no present prospect of our
paying less for some years.
In this way we have all paid our
share in the World war; The net cost
Of that enterprise to date has been
S24,1OOOOO.000, or, including our loans
to foreign governments, which have
not been repaid, $33, ass, 100000. These
are official treasury figures. Do nor
let your eyes run over them lightly.
Thirty-three billion four hundred and
ffty-five million dollars is an almost
incOmprehensible sum. The cost of
running the national government is
now around $5,O00,OOOOOO a year. The
experts say that for the next two or
three years the cost of the government
will not descend below about S4OOO.-.
100000 a year.
want you clearly to understand the
immensity, the magnitude, the over
whelming size of such sums We |
chatter about billions nowadays with
out in the least knowing what is a
billion. Let me try to bring IT home
to you. 1t is now, roughly speaking.
1920 years since the birth of Christ.
We do not know precisely and accu-
rately at what hour and on what day
Christ was born. But under tile Gre
gOr1an calendar, according to which
we now reckon time, we have
record of the days. since January first
Of the year one, Ammo Domini. From
The beginning Of the year one to JAN
larry 1, 1921, there elapsed about 7O1.-
261 days, or, to reduce it further.
1880, ,4OS hours, which being reduced
lgain, means 1,OO9,S24,4SO minutes.
will ask you to remember that the
Whole history of the modern world
rom the first second of the year one
o the last second Of the year 1920
las been compressed into 1,OO9, ,S24.4SO
minutes. I
Now let us suppose that with the
ermission of the Roman authorities
he United States had established 81
isbursing officer at Jerusalem on the {
rst day of the year one with instruc-
ions to pay out So minute day and
ight, Sundays and holidays included.
ght down through the centuries to G
lew Years day, 1921.
Suppose he had been given S5,6S6.- =
J5,7O6 to start him on his long spell
spending. That is one estimate of
lie sum that it cost to run this gov
'nment in 1920. On the morning of
inuary 1, 1921, this mythical disburs-
g officer, giving money away at the d
tie of S. a minute, would have spent p
1ly S5,O49, ,122, 400, and would still p
one of the richest men in the p
orld, for he would have left on ~
md S636, 6,SS3,3O6 of the original sum.
aging out at the rate of So a minute d.
r more than 1900 years he would al
It have kept pace with the cost of ol
keep of this government for the one III
lgle year 1920. re
Suppose this imaginary government -
ender had been authorized to nav. -
t at the rate of $23 a minute through
2 centuries. He would not have n,
ished, on January 1, 1921, paving g.,
our share of the cost of the World mr.
r by some $7S4,O36,96O. He would 70 70
We that much left over after paving H.
t $23,225, .040. He would have been ~,
wing out nearly 40 cents every SER on
i the clock licked for more than 10 60;
lturies without being able to s. tio
lrge our share of the World war 70
It. "
20 you ever bother your head about is
Sc bushels and bushels of dollars hal
t you contribute to the support of bun
government? You earned them. "
know whether they came easily or VIII
Do you know where thew 90 wo
er they leave YOU, how they are tur
mt, whether wisely or foolisblv? wol
all your money, contributed for the II
per and economic conduct of vour inst
mess. There is no such thing as if
money. The government ally
er earned a cent. wol
on own the government and Won the
port it, and it is merely admins pur
ID by men Of your selection. I T
e always been puzzled about why wal
do not take an active and eager that
rest in what becomes of YOU
ley that YOU pa in taxes. T
IT let's go OH and get down in or l