The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-12-01
WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED


l wish you would take what is
written here as personal report ad-
dressed directly to you from me about
your business. Don't think of 1t or
read 1t as an article about politics"
or remote public affairs at Washing
ton. 1t Is not that at all. 1t Is what
/ ask you to think 1t, personal
business report to you relating to your
Individual concerns. your pocketbook
and your welfare. 1 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
managing your affairs and spending
your money. 1 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 Difference
and awe as a group of eminent states
men, or you may call them in fippancy
and too hasty 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 1t 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 1 have concluded this series
of articles 1 expect to show you CON
clusively 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 n proposal for n 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 $1,0O0,OOOOO0 year instead
of $4,000, 100000. That means we
would have about $4,000 100000 more
year to spend on our private needs
and pleasures. I frankly confess that
would enjoy having four-fifths Of my
taxes knocked off. Wouldn't you?
Secretary Weeks of the War d.
partment gave public warning little
while ago that the government would
require of us about $17,0OO.OOO in
the 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 S20,O0O,OOO. than s17.OOO.-
600. The great bulk of that Is for
past and prospective war expenditures.
For this, you and congress and the
Executive departments Mt 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 1t
away from you in the 'orm 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. 1t
is your money that you have earned
in your business, on your farm, or by
the labor of your hands, that is being
expended and 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. or to put away and save
against rainy day, If you only de-
manded determinedly and unitedly
that governmental extravaganza should
cease.
can tell you some of the conditions
of governmental spending and how
your money is chucked about. and /
can tell you how you can stop 1t. The
power IS yours, and until you exer-
els, IT waste and extravaganza will
not sron.