Pueblo chieftain., 1921-01-27
A GOVERNMENT RUN ON SMOKE

up the total appropriations for tho va
rious bureaus, Thus In prc-war DAYS
VIC used to be scandalizcd by tho
term "a billion dollar congress- But
as a matter Of fact, the net cost OF
the government to the federal isNpay-
crs before tho war was never as much
as seven hundred millions in "A year
Dr.. Rosa concludes his argument
with a plea FOR tho support OF tho
scientific and engineering work OF gov
crnmcnt- In this part OF his argument
he probably comes closest to the real
question at issue. That question Is:
What are tho legitimate and necessary
activities or the federal government
| Whether certain bureaus arc expand
| Ing or contracting. II is certainly truc
'crnmcnt. as a whole, over since its
{ establishment. have been steadily
growing, while tho importance OF state
land other local governments has
steadily dwindlcd. Tho percentage of
the population which works for tho
federal government steadily grows IN
| a word, tho United States is said TO
/ be turning into bureaucracy, say tho
/ critics or this expansion, For exam
/ pie. Senator Thomas OF Colorado rc-
Gently attracted attention by a speech
| In tho senate in which he convincing
Ily pointed out this tendency. And
these critics further point out that
bureaucracy is not democracy II is
4 opposed to tho principles for which
I this government is supposed TO stand.
And the dangers or It have been strik-
inEly illustrated by several European
countries. notably France.
Is the United State. Buroaurrnoy.
! In a word. the many pubIcists who
attack the activities OF the federal
government are probably motivated a.
bottom BY this feeling that the gov
crnmcnt Is dcEcneratinS into a bu-
reaucracy and by u desire TO chcc.,
this degeneration Dr. Rosa analysis
suggests that this attack has been
somewhat indiscriminatc The ten
dcncy has been TO attack federal cs-
pausion rs whole. or. more often, TO
attack IL where th. interests OF tho
attacking party are least concerned.
Thus congressman from the corn
belt may cloqucntly stand up Tor
states rights and the curtuilmcnt OF
[ federal authority. but ho is in favor
j OF enormous appropriations for tho
making and distributing of hog chol-
I era serum By the federal government,
Numerous Similar Instances suggest
themselves
! DR.. Rosa's figures seem TO indicate
[ that what is needed Is a clear and uu-
/ prcjudiccd analysis Of the situation 10
determine just what activities OF tho
federal government are legitimate and
, necessary $. and which are not BF.
Rosa argues that the scientific aud On
EinocrinE activities OF tho government
are among its most legitimate and nee
cssary ones. Tho bureau OF standards,
for instance, make scientific research
which Is OF great V8iu. TO industry. as
do also other scientific bureaus OF tho
government. This work could be dom.
/ by private concerns for themselves.
But for each private concern to DO
It's own primary research would be 10
do tho same thing over and over again.
The logical way is Tor tho government
10 do tho primary work, in full co..
operation with private enterprise.
leaving the private Laboratories TO
work out their own special problems.
This seems logical. Such work by tho
government represents merely eco
nomical cooperation by the American
people to solvc their Industrial Prob
/ lens.
As for engineering work 1t is most
~ necessary in development OF tho
public domain. As long as We have
public domain, II must be adequately
cared Tor. So The care of national for
csts and the reclamation OF arid pub
lie lands arc legitimate government
work.
There certainly seems TO be a dis
tinction between such government ac-
tivitics as these and others, which
readily come to mind that might bc
as well or better performed by states
or municipalities or individuals. 1t is
the latter which brought down upon
their heads the cpithcts "natornalistic''
and bureaucratic"
1t is complicated and vital uucs-
ton, hut Or. Rosa seems to have shed
some light on ii, anyhow.
Denver. Colo.--Tho city good in
specttou department during 1870
condemned l,N27,oii pounds of food,
according 20 the annual report OF In
spcctor Charles A. ragan. Condemn
cd canned goods tot,lIcd giS6oe