The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-01-09
BY EDWARD G. LOWRY
WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED
cODyrQht. wsstera Newspaper Union

WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED
wish you would take what Is
written here rs a personal report ad.
dressed directly to you from me about
your business. Don't think of Il 81
read 1t as an article about politics"
or remote public affairs at Washing.
ton. II is not that ut all Ii is what
| ask you TO think 1t. n personal
business report TO you relating TO your
individual concerns, your pOcketbo0k
and your welfare. / have no other
interest than TO tell YOU the exac
truth.
Assume that You have sent me 20
Washington 10 find out for you what
your agents are doing, how they are
managing your affairs and spending
your money | call them Your agents
for that is all they are-the President.
the members OF the cabinet, the
senator's ana 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 MS a group Of eminent states
mep, Or you may call them in ilippaney
and too hasry contempt "a lot OF
politicians" But whatever you call
them, they are your hired men. They
attend 10 your collective business.
which is called the public business.
Query: Are they doing 1t efficiently
and with singlemnded devotion 70
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 nh 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 | expect to show you con.
clusiyely that the lmpelling motive
that induced President Harding to call
the present conference In Washington
to consider limitation OF ornaments
was financial The pressing need Of
considering proposal for rec
lion or limitation by agreement Of war
expenditure was not made entirely on
the ground Of morality or righteous
ness but as n plan for cutting down
the operating expenses Of the govern.
ment.
II the United States government
we're an individual wewould Say that
It was broke, for IT'S expenses exceed
rs income
Your interest is simply this: that
whatever decision is ma'c YOU win
have to pay the bill. Ii today we
didn't have these army and navy eX-
penses yuu would have to pay in taxes
less than 81 ,00O000000 q year instead
Of S5,0O0000,O00 That means we
would have about S4.OOO,000000 more
a year TO spend Oh our private needs
and pleasures. frankly confess that
would enjoy having four-hfths of my
taxes knocked or 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 $i7000,000 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 $20,000,O00 than $1,000.
000.. 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 1t. In its
simplest terms the procedure is this
You earn the money, congress takes II
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, aud by
the executive officers of the govern
ment, who do the actual spending Il
is your money that you have earned
in your business, on your farm, or by
the labor of your hands, that Is beinl
expended and wasted at Washington
Every cent that is extravagantly OF
needlessly exnen1ed by the govern