Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-12-29
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anybody else has the faintest concep-
ton OF what one billion dollars really
/ Is We speak famillariy OF billions as
81 commonplace but most of us I've
our lives In terms of hundreds
I | have shown YOU that every one
OF us, man woman and child. iu inls
country paid last year S53.77 each
toward the support of The government.
/ or course. every person does not pay
exactly S53.77 \ great many pay
. more and some pay less; but those
who pay the most try 10 take IL out
OF those who pay the least by incrcas-
I Ing the prices or what thcy have 90
+ sell. or of services rendered or work
! performed 20 that IL averages ont at
I $33..7. Some pay more than their
share, others pay less. This is called
on incident of taxation. Tie whole
point Is that We ali pay; That we pry
now more than We ever paid before;
and there is no present prospect OF our
paying less for some years.
In this way We have an paid CIR
share In the World war HE net cost
OF thar enterprise to date has been
S24.1O0.0oOO 900 or incluing our loans
10 foreign governments, which have
not been repaid. S33.455 Oo0. 600 Th..,e
are Official treasury figures 10 not
let your eyes run over Them ligAtly
Ihirty-three billion four hundred and
Gity-nye million dollars is an almost
iucomprenenSibie sum. The cost of
running the national government is
now around S.,COO,O0OOD e year The
experts say hat for Tho next two or
three years the cost of The government
will not descend below about $1,000.
100000 year
want y0u clearly to understand the
immensely, the magnitude he over
WIDENING size OF such sums We
chatter about billions noWacay. with
cut la Che least knowing WHAT IS q
( billion. Let me- try e. bring ID home
10 YOU Il is now. roughly speaking
+ 1920 years since the birih ol Christ.
/ We 30 not know precisely and acca-
rately at what hour and oil what day
/ Christ MAS born. Bat under he Gse-
/ sorian calender. according tu Nrich
We now reckon time we have "A
record of the dayg since January first
/ of the Year oler Ammo puaini From
/ the beginning or the year one Go Jan.
uary J. 1921. there elapsed abuai 1ul IT,
2C7 days. Oh to reduce IL further
f 1850 f0S hours. which heinz reduced
again. moans o09.S2ttsO minutes
VIII ask YOU to remember ihat The
whole history ~ The modern world
from the flrs, second "f The year one
/ 10 the last second Of the wear 1920
has been compressed into ,U00o24 iSo
minutes
Sow let us suppose that with the
permission az tile Roman authorities
/ the United states had established ~
dsbursing Officer ar Jerusalem on The
first day OF the year onc With instruc-
lions 20 pay OUT s. minute day and
night, Sundays aud holidays included.
right down through The centuries 10
New Years day 1921
Suppose he had been given S5.GSG
OOJ7O6 TO start him on his long spell
D vi NHflIAlliA- lint - 'fiif- est itiAatF 81
the sum tina; IL cost TO ruu this gov
ernment IN 1920. On the morning II
January !, 1921. this mythical disburs-
Ing officer, giving money away at the
rate Of - a minute. would have spent
only S5.049. -. 400 and would still
be one of the richest men I'm The
world, for ne would have left On
hand S636, So, 301 OF The original SUN.
Paying ont at the rate of S. - minute
for more than 1900 years. he would
not have kept pace with tie cost OF
upkeep of this government Tor the one
single year 1920
Suppose this imaginary government
spender had been authorized to raS
out az the rate Of S23 a minute through
the centuries. He would NOT have
finished, on January J. 1921. paying
FOR our share -of he cost oi ihe World
war by some S1S4.036.9G0 lie would
have that much LETT over after paving
out So. 225 .gJ3 0sO. lie would have been
paying out nearly 10 cents every see.
ond the clock licked f0r more than ~
centuries without being able to dis.
charge our share Of Tie World war
cost
10 you ever bother your head about
these bushels and bushels of dollars
that you contribute to tho support of
The Poyernmcnt2 You earned them.
You know whether they c0me easily or
not. DO you know where lhcy 20
after they leave YOU how they are
sIent, whether wisely or foolishly?
It's all your money, contributed for the
proper ANA economic conduct of your
business. There Is no such thing as
government money. The government
never earned cent
You own the government and you
support il. and II Is merely admins
tered by men Of your selection. I
have always heen puzzled about Why
You do not take an active and eager
interest in what becomes ~ your
money that YOU pay in taxes.
But let's 80 ON and get down 10
cases.