The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-01-26
By EDWARD G. LOWRY
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

l'NtIl W hcpieHGlllHLlNt HOIultJi
chairman Of the committee on ways
and means Of the house Of representa-
tiyes, says: Ordinary expenditures
for the first three quarters Of the is.
cal year, 1921, have been S3,7S3,77l,-
900.74, or at the rate of about $1,000
100000 for the year. According
to the latest estimates OF the spending
departments. ordinary expendi.
lures during the fiscal year, 1922, In
Guiding interest on the public debt,
viii be over $4,000000000.
'The nation cannot continue to
spend Mt this shocking rate. AS the
President said In his message, the bur
den is unbearabe, and there are two
avenues Of relief, One is resistance
IN appropriation and the other is the
utmost economy in administration
r. 9. LefIlngwell, formerly an assis-
tnnt secretary of the treasury whom
have quoted previously in these ar
tlccs, and who is stll deeply and ac-
lively interested IN securing retrench-
mcnt in national expenditures. com.
mentlng on this utterance Of Secretary
Mellon, says: "Why should there be
retrcnclmeut in public expenditure?
why does the secretary of the treas
uIy speak Of current and estimated ex-
pend!tures rs shocking? What IS the
evil that we are discussing and what
Is its effect?
Government expenditures must be
met from taxes. To the extent that
they are met promptly from taxes and
from honest taxes directly laid upon
the Incomes Of the people, and In pro-
portion TO those incomes, eXaggeratlon
OF the evil OF government expenditure
is avoided Government expenditure
takes the money -of all The people for
The supposed benefit OF a portion Of
The people, honestly or dishonesty.
equally or unequa!ly ayowedy by d.
rect taxation, or surreptltiously by the
ind'rec; taxation which results from
imitation Of currency and credit and
Of the public debt.
Government expenditure takes tie
fruits Of the earth and the labor Of
the people and diverts ulem from the
productive and reproductive enter
prises Of men, from the natural enjoy.
ment Of the men, who by their pru-
dence, foresight and effort, created the
wealth and made Il available TO the
sometimes benevolent and sometimes
belligeTent, but almost always econom.
!cauy wasteful, purposes Of govern
ment.
Government exploits all Of Us for
the benefit. or supposed benefit, Of
some cf us. Yielding to tho vngue
aspirations Of men FOR better world
or better distribution 90 the good
things Of this earth, government I'M
poses upon all of us eyer-increasiug
burdens in the effort to benefit yocir.
crous and organized mlnoritleS.
Zach Of the executive departments
is concerned 90 improve It's service
and To discover new and useful fields
% service. The entire organization
# the army, Of the navy, Of each Of
the departments, Independent Offices
aud agencies Of the government, is dc.
voted TO an important task. It's par.
ticular function seems OF Vita use.
luluess, even necessity. Experts in
each are alive to its defects and tc
the opportunities for usefulness which
huve not been avalled Of.
"The secretary, or other head Of
the department drawn from private
lie, perhaps wholly ignorant at the
outset Of the nature and extent Of It's
problems, promptly becomes The advo.
cate of the policies ana demands OF
his permanent assistants and bureau
chiefs. II he does not become such
advocate, he may break down the
morale Of his Organization and possibly
lose the confidence OF his personnel,
Behind 1t all is the pressure of or.
gnnized interests in the constituencies.
which are the beneGclaries of specific
expenditures, operating upon politi.
clans, executive departments, senators
and congressman, The strident voice
Of greed is heard in the market place
and In legislative halls; the voice Of
the people is barely audible.
THE fact that each project is con
sldered separately without reference
either in executive departments or
congress to ways and means of tlnNnc-
Ing 1t, prevents concentration of popu-
lar opinion on the awful total. All
agree hat there must be economy hut
as each lem Is presented al seeming
ly agree that that Is not the proper
field for economy. There must be econ.
omt, hut there must be Il merchant
marine, whatever the cost There must
be economy but the government must
pay high wages to railroad employees
and furnish transportation on the rail-
roads at less than cost There must
he economy, but the World war sol
diers must have their bonus. There
must be economy, but Civil war pen.
slons must be Increased There must
he economy but we must prepare for
war, regardless OF expense"
You know this Is true. The new
budget law will help very much this
condition, but unless YOU are interest.
ed continuously, actively, openly In, |
terested, your money viii not be saved |
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