Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-06-23
A STARTLING
STATEMENT

4
gave cut a statement recently which
is startling. 1t is as follows:
appropriations already made and
those which must be made for the
Federal budget for the coming
year cannot be less than $6,500,000,-
90. inns will be about $50 for
every man, woman and child in the
United States, or a burden of from
$3.50 to $500 on every family. If We
add to this state, county and NUM-
cIpal taxes, we arrive at situation
which is startling. The figures are
not available for all of the States,
but let US take Ohio for example:
Cost of state government for 1920
$29, 100000.
COUNTY government, $44,7O0,000.
The cost Of city government in
Ohio is not available since 1919, but
tor that year it was $43 100000. A
reasonable estimate is that it is now
not far from $60,000,000. That is
to say, city government is costing
Ohio about $40 per capita. State
government $5 per capita, and county
government ST. If we add this to
the Federal cost of government the
total will be about $82 per capita, or
|
It is difficult to get at the average
annual earnings for there are no re-
turns from the farmers, our most
numerous class, but leaving them
out and taking an average on the re-
turns made, it was about $3.50 for
| she past year. We then have the
total cost of government approx
mating close to 40 per cent of the
average earnings. This seems in
credible but it is fact nevertheless,
and it shows very clearly the desper-
ate situation in which we now find
ourselves, The fact that not every
family will pay its per capita share
of such tax does not alter the situa-
ton at all, for it means that some
other families will pay more. A
nation that is paying, as we are, al
most 40 per cent of its net earnings
for taxes, not only cannot return to
prosperity but will not long endure:
This fact should be borne in mind
by the hordes of special interests
Deseiging Congress to pass all kinds
of legislation, which can only have
the effect of increasing still further
this growing burden Of taxation that
already has robbed US of prosperity
and is heading us straight for bank
ruptcy The increase in useless
government expenses is as alarming
as it is shameful. When the CzaI
of Russia called the first Hague con-
vention he said that if Europe were
to survive economically there must
De appeasement of her naval and mill
tary burdens. The total cost of all
ne armies ana navies of Europe fo,
: he year 1896 was 250,000,000 pounIs
sterling, or about one and one
quarter billion dollars.
We have appropriated for the next
fiscal year just about this amount
for cur army and navy, and we have
two more appropriation bills Of
like amount to come in order tt
/! carry out the naval program of 1916
Our government waste is truly
something frightful. 1t has recently
oeen stated that the Government
mas already spent $4,000 for every
man wounded in the late war IN it!
efforts to rehabilitate. We know
: how little has been accomplished O.
; what should have been done.
( | have not verified these figures
but it is safe to say that it woulC
: have been much cheaper for the gov
: ernment to have given a check fo
: $25,U00 to every wounded soldie
5 and to have paid at once and in full
: the face value of every war risk in
surance policy issued. We are bleed
ing the country white with the over
t head expnese of bureaus, beards an
o other alleged administrative age1
e cies which really perform very littl
: service. If we turn from this to tn
f projects now before Congress whic
e have some justification because the
d carry some use and service, tn
h catalogue runs something like this
The Smith -Towner bill levies $10(
d 100000 on the states:
! The Towner-Sheppard bill abou
$75,O00,0J00 to start with:
The welfare department probabl
about $50,000,000 to begin with.
The Federal Roads bill 100000
n coo Federal taxes and another $100
= 100000 on the states.
The Soldiers Bonus bill, %$1 500
100000. =
g There are a great many Other
Z. also,, either in the legislative hoppe
!. or in preparation, and any and a
N of those, if passed, must be in add
y VIII W bHS Bu1HCIS ! hA!S attCaH
pointed out. Where we are going
u get the money, Congress cannot tel
le and ! ceannot see how the people wi
rs ever pay it. Nothing short of
j. capital tax can do it and let the raI
A. and file of the people live, and wins
ID we throw down the bars for that,
4 will not require prophet to 5,
w what will happen!
Of We used to think that such eme
i gencies should.be met by cutting e:
"a penses to the bone and doing Witho1
"a those things not absolutely nece
~ sary. We must do it now quick
Of and drastically # we are going
save the country from utter collap
no in the near future, but / am n
- - hopeful that it will be done, as '
10 seem to have adopted the philosopl
,,S that the cure for the ills OF was
II and extravaganza is to practice mo
lhaa waste and extravaganza. We ia
:; : much, and sometimes sensibly,
= what we should do, but when
- comes to the scratch we do nothin