The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-30

tue OuQ&ot Dill became law,
The question will be thresbcd !
out in congress at the session hi,
winter, and it is expected there win
be fireworks in the process, Ths
president strongly upholds the bud.
get system and has declared mn.
equivocally that appropriations q,
money must not exceed the govern.
ment income. He has adopted tho
economy Of Micawber. the lannon's
character in Dickens whose honely
discussion of the budget idea aptIv
expresses the situation. He NJ.
in effect: Income, $2,005; expesd.
iture, $4,000. means happiness. In.
come. $4,000; expenditure, $3,o05.
means misery"
President Backs Budget
The president takes the safns
view and will insist that the Amsr.
lean government seek to have a
surplus OF revenue rather than an
excess of expenditure. Micawber's
analysis related to the affairs Of
an individual family. but the case
Is not greatly altered when ma.
lions are concerned. For a man's
expenses to exceed his income
means he must run in debt and Dor.
row, paying interest. For a gov.
eminent to spend more than its in.
come means the same thing. There
is not the element of personal mis-
cry which Micawber speaks OF, butt
there is substantial national EN-.
barrassment which may result in
personal misery for many of the
unthrifty Nations individuals.
Practically the whole trouble
with the European nations which
now are having such grave finan-
cial difficulties is that they went on
war spree and spent vastly mora
than their income. That is the
case with Germany, with France,
with Italy, with Poland, and, in a
lesser degree, with England. They
spent more than their incomes and
now they must borrow. Their cur.
rencies have deprecated because
they have not kept their budgets
balanced. This has resulted in loss
Of trade and in ruinous prices for
the necessities Of life. They rem.
resent instances in which the un.
thrifty policy against which Mi
cawber uttered his warnings have
caused personal misery to thou
sands.
There is something to be said
on the other side of the case. Many
Of the separate bills to be introduc-
ed will be worthy; in fact most Of
them will and great difficulty will
be experienced in defeating them.
Assume that the department Of
agriculture has sent in budget
which exceeds what can be allowed
If expenditures are to stay within
income. The Budget bureau lops
off a few millions. Among the
items cut off, let US assume there
is an item of $4,000 for the contin-
uance Of an agricultural expert
ment station. At this station, the
department scientists are working
out a series Of experiments relat-
ing to the cotton boil weevil. Five
years are required to carry the
work to a conclusion. The comp
pleted work may reveal scientific
facts worth millions to the cotton
growing industry. The work has
been going on three years. If it
is stopped now through lack of ap-
preparation, all that three years
work is lost for the experiments
must be continuous and there is
possibly potential loss of vastly
more than the work will cost Yet
the figures show plainly that there
is not enough money to go around.
The orksmust stop.
There are instances In which
substantial losses have been sus-
tanned by the government in this
manner. Government work is in
process and specially made, expen-
sive tools have been purchased and
special buildings erected. The
budget cuts off the next years ap-
preparation. There is not even
enough money appropriated tospay
for storing the tools and instru-
ments and maintain watchmen at
the buildings. Tools and insru-
ments are lost or stolen and build
ings fall into disrepair. Persons
familiar with the government know
Of these cases and therefore have
some sympathy with the extra ap-
preparation bills which seek to
evade the budget.
This is just one Of the problems
which the men who run the gov
eminent have to face. How they
will face the crisis of the budget
this winter will be matter OF in
terest to every citizen and tax
payer.