The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-12-09
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union
WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED

written here as personal report ad
dressed directly to you from me aheHi
your business. Don't think Of it OF
read 1t as an article about politics.
or remote public affairs at Washing
ton. 1t is not that at all. It Is what
ask you to think 1t, a persona
business report to you relating to your
Individual concerns, your pocketbooI
and your welfare. / have no other
interest than to tell you the exaci
truth.
Assume that you have sent me Il
Washington to find out for you whai
your agents are doing, how they ar,
managing your affairs and spending
your money. I call them your agent
for that is all they are-the President
the members of the cabinet, thu
senator's 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 deferenct
and awe as group of eminent states
men, or you may call them in fippancJ
and too hasty contempt "a lot OF
politicians" But whatever you cal
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 a single-minded devotion II
your interestsf
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 pei
cent of all government revenues, ant
that means the money taken from VOC
as taxes, goes to pay for wars, past
present and future.
Before have concluded this series
of articles l expect to show you con
clusively that the impelling motive
the present conference In Washington
to consider Limitation of armaments
was financial. The pressing need Of
considering proposal for reduc
ton or limitation by agreement of Wal
expenditure was not made entirely or
the ground of morality or righteous
ness, hut as a. plan for cutting dowT
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. II today we
didn't have these army and navy ex
penses you would have to pay In taxes
less than 0000o0,ooo a year instead
of s5,00o00o.OO0. That means we
would have about 100000 more
a year to spend on our private needs
and pleasures. / frankly confess that
/ would enjoy having four-fifths of my
taxes knocked of. Wouldn't your
Secretary Weeks of the War de
partment gave public warning a little
while ago that the government would
+ require of us about $17,o0o,o0o 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 VIII
be nearer s20.O00,0o0, than 1000.
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 II is your money that is
being spent and you can stop 1t. 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 II.
A great part of II 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 ard save
against a rainy day, If you only de-
manded determinedly and unltedly
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 it. The
power is yours, and until you exer-
else IT waste and extravaganza win
not stop.
UNCLE SAM AS EMPLOYER