Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-11-25
WHO FURNISHES THE MONEY!

The News Is heartily in favor of the
Federal aid in road building through.
out America. but 1t does not feel that
the communities. counties. states taking
this aid are pensioners on the boun.
" Of he government. for in the last
analysis. who furnishes the money?
Those who are emitted 10 answer this
question. will OF course say; the people,
for that's Il, Why. then. all this prating
according TO some. about the decline
Of local self.government." and local
selfreiiancc7 II the people would avail
themselves OF an offering from n fund
which they themselves create as a
means IL forwarding the common good.
where Is the cause for censure or com.
plain
II Ia Just as well TO be sensible about
this and other matters relating them
selves to questions OF state and federal
aid. II In not sensible TO look upon the
mayor and his assistants. as he city;
nor the county Judge and his assistants,
as the county; nor the governor and
his assistants. az the state. nor the
president and his assistants. az the
United States. All OF these have their
power from the people. and their sup
port from the same source. So. when
Federal. state. county. or municipal
cid IL invoked. I, Is merely the invoca
ton OF that which belongs 10 the
people. and where used for the advance
rnent OF the same. II II warranted In
fullest degree.
In this connection. however. there II
another thing that should not be over
looked: Money belonging to all the
people. coming from a fund created by
the democracy % taxation. is deserving
~ iudicious handling and disbursement
There has been expressed an idea some
thing like this: Whatever II secured
from the government. whether Federal
saie. county. or city. In that much
gained" This IL In the last measure
% the analysis. an error for the sun
total ~ money approxlmates certain
aggregate amounts. and when a por
ton Of this goes into certain channel
(, - diverted into other channels. ant
while IL raises the tide In the former
u lowers the volume In the other
This T. principle that economists. Il
nhncicrs and many OF the common
people have long since recognized. sn'
n cannot he gainsaid. nor overlooked.
Getting money under the provision
OF Federal and state adj Legislation. 4
sinIpiy receiving hack from the fund
accumulated through taxation. money
10 ~ expended for the general good
that will II Iuiiciously handled. throug
enhancement % values. enlarged pre-
Auctions and increased revenues. reT
rcsen, bread cast upon the waters.
Viewed In this latter light. tina, al
funds expended IN such way ss 20 II
crease aid sources. ! VIII be understoo
that there l. certainly no charity. an
but scant showing OF foundation
TACT for the assumption n philanthropy
uton the part % governments.
Al funds rightly handled. are II
vestmens pure and simple. and shout
be 80 considered. in the interest OF y
Getty as a whole. There Is no warrar
for feeling that local self government
or local self reliance suffer when fund
provided under the various aid act
are used BY a community Such sctic
l. an lnyes'men; By the governmen
with definite assurance that the none
through the inescspsble enhancement
will find ia way hack into the trssur
"a self perpeutstlns process. with n
incident multiplicity. through use.