Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-31
GOVERNMENT COSTS
PEOPLE ONE-E|GHTH
.OF THEIR EARNINGS
BY HARDEN CoxFAx
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1921

>
Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON, May 28.-Govern-
ment of the people, by the people
and for the people, cost the people
of the United States approximately
eight and one-half billions of dol
lars during the fiscal year now clos
ing-about IL 1-2 per cent of all
the money the people earned-ac-
cording to figures collected by the
senate and house committees facing
the task of framing a new tax bill
designed to tighten the load.
Peace time never knew such mon
umental cost of government before.
And while the cost of living has fall
len far from the peak it occupied
ment still stands perched upon it's
loftiest eminence. barring the days
when the country was at war and
maintaining a huge army, building a
navy and supporting the allied world
with it's loans.
How to get the government down
to figures commensurate with the de-
cline in the cost of living and other
costs appears to the committees stu
dying it, as the problem de luxe of
1921. Certain it is that the high cost
of government must be pruned ma
that the job of pruning in one re-
quiring the touch and knowledge of
an expert. Certain it appears to be,
also, that the cost of government
cannot come down as far as the
American people want to see it come
and that there will be many thou
| sands of disappointed taxpayers
when next years tax bills come
around. -
Cost of City Government
The federal government has spent
money. during the fiscal year which
closes June 80, next, at the rate of
approximately five billions a year.
The expenses of the government
here at Washington will not fall
| much below that sum, it is believed.
| when the books for the year are
| balanced.
In addition, there are other costs
of government which total about
| three and one-half billion dollars
more Chief of these is the cost of
city government. The latest census
| figures cover 1919 government costs
in all cities of 10000 or more in
cities enumerated and their popula-
ton is placed at 81 900, 00O-less than
one-third of the population of con-
| tinental United States. The cost of
governing these 227 cities in 1913
| was approximately 100000, the
census states, although part of this
cost was returned in revenues from
| such investments as water works
etc, which showed profit.
The cost of governing these cities
was not less, 1t is generally agreed
| in 1920 than it was in 1919. In adj
| 1itinn IN and IN of this
the cost of state government, figure
also covered by the census bureau
The forty-eight states spent net a
cool $600,000,000 for their govern
ment costs, making the cost of gov
erning the 227 cities and the forty
eight states approximately $1,000,
| 100000 for the year--and again 1T Is
kconceded, that the cost of govern.
ing the states In 1920 was not Tess
than in 1919.
Municipal government, costs are re-
corded by the census bureau, how
ever, only for the larger cities. II
is estimated that it cost every man
woman and child in the smaller
cities, towns, villages, boroughs. etc,
an average of $40 year for munich
pal government. In the larger cities
the cost was $40 per inhabitant. And
as there are approximately 80,000.00O
persons living in those smaller mu-
nicipal units, the total cost, there
| fore, was 81 100000.
Entirely Too Much
That makes a total of $8,400,00O,O0O
for the cost of all government-fed-
eral, state, city. town, village, bor-
| ough.
In addition to recording govern
ment costs, the census bureau also
gives figures covering the nations
income-the wages, salaries and 9TH
err earnings paid the vast army OF
| toilers In the United States, num-
bered at 40,000,000. Their total an
nual income is placed in round fig
ures at approximately $64,000,000,0 600,
an average of $1,000 for every man,
woman and child who works.
Figuring the government cost In
averages, the committees find that 1t
costs every wage Garner in the
| United States-and that term in
cludes the salaried men and women,
too-about 1910 for government dur
ing the past year. Some officials
believe that it cost even more than
| that.
In other words, out Of every dol
lar the toiler gets, government takes
1912 cents. 1t is too much; and
how to make it less is going to cause
many headaches and not few hot
verbal encounters on the floor of
congress during the days near at
hand.