New Ulm review., 1921-11-30
WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED

Copyright, Western Newspaper Union
WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED
I wish you would take what, il
written here as personal report ad.
dressed directly to you from me about
your business. Don't think Of it or
read it as an article about "pOlitics.N
or remote public affairs at Washing
ton. It is not that at all. 1t is what
I ask you to think it, a personal
business report to you relating to your
individual concerns, your pocketbook
and your welfare. I 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. I call them your agents
for that is all they are-the President,
the members Of the cabinet, the
senator's and all thesmembers 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 group of eminent states
men, or you may call them in flippancy
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 it efficiently
and with a 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 80 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 have concluded this series
of articles I expect to show you con-
clusively that the impel1ing motive
that induced President Harding to call
the present conference in washington
to consider limitation of ornaments
was financial The pressing need Of
considering a proposal for a reduc-
tion or limitation by agreement Of war
expenditure was not made, entirely or
the ground Of morality or. righteous
ness, but as plan for cutting down
the operating expenses of the govern
ment.
If the United States government
were an individual we would say that
it 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 S1,OOO,OOO,Oo0 year instead
of $4,000 100000. That means we
would have about $4,000, 100000 more
a year to spend on our private needs
and pleasures. ] frankly confess that
I would enjoy having four-ffths of my
taxes knocked off. Wouldn't you?
Secretary Weeks Of the War de-
partment gave public warning a little
while ago that the government would
require of us about $170OO,OO0 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 $2O,0O0,0O0, than $17,000,-
600. The great bulk of that is for
past and prospective war expenditures.
For this, you and congress and the
Executive departments at 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 it
away from you in the form of taxes,
and then congress and the Executive
departments spend it.
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. It
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 extrayagantly OF
needlessly expended by the govern
ment you could have In your pocket tc
| meet the increased cost Of food, 1odg
ing and clothing, doctors bills an6
amusements, or to put away and save
against a rainy day, if. you only de
manded determinedly and unitedly
| that governmental extravaganza should
| cease.
I 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 it. Th'
| power is yours, and until you exer
else it waste and extravaganza vii
not stop.