The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-01-16
By EDWARD G, LOWRY
c0Dynghi. weatan NgWspsper Union
MAGNITUDE OF BILLIONS


ton of what one billion dollars really
Is. We speak Familiarity Of billions as
commonplace, but most Of US live
our lives In terms Of hundreds
have shown you that every ono
Of US, man. woman and child. IN this
country, paid last year $53.77 each
toward the support of the government
OF course, every person does not pay
exactly $5377. great many pay
more and some pay less; but those
who pay the most try 10 take it out
of those who pay the least by increas-
log the prices Of what they have to
sell, or OF services rendered or work
performed so that 1t averages out nj
$j3.77. Some pay more than their
share. others pay less. This Is called
40 incident Of taxation. The whole
point is that we all pay; that we pay
now more than We ever paid before
and there Is no present prospect Of our
paying less for some years.
In this way we have all paid our
share IN the World war The net cost
Of that enterprise to date has been
S24, 100000,000, or. Including our loans
to foreign governments, which have
not been repaid, S33455, 100000 These
nre official treasury figures DO not
let your eyes run over them lightly.
ThiTty-three billion four hundred and
Gfty Eve million dollars Is an almost
ncomprehensible sum. The cost Of
running the national government Is
now around J0000O0,00) a year The
experts say that for the next two or
three years the cost OF the government
Wal not descend below about $1,000.
100000 a year t
want YOU clearly to understandable
lmmensty the magnitude, the over
whelmlng size Of such sums We
chatter about billons nowadays with
ont in The least knowing what Is a
billion LEE noe try to bring II home
10 you.- Il Is now. roughly speaking.
1920 years since the birth of Christ.
We DO not know precisely and .nccu-
rately al what hour and on what day
Christ Was born But under tho Gre
gorian calendar. according 10 which
we nov reckon time. we have
record Of the days since January first
Of The year one, Ammo Domnl From
the beginning Of the year ono 10 Jan.
uary J. 1921. there elapsed about I0l..
2G7 days or. to reduce It further,
lG,S3Q40S hours, which being reduced
again, means 1.009,S2I $50 minutes
will ask you TO remember that the
whole history Of the modern world
from the first second of the year one
10 the last second OF the year 1920
has been compressed into l,000,S2i. $50
minutes.
Now let US suppose that with the
permission Of the Roman authorities
ihe United States had established "a
diSbursIng officer at Jerusalem on the
FIRST day Of the year ono with instruc.
tio0s 10 pay out s. a minute day and
night. Sundays and holidays included.
right down through the centuries to
New Years day. 1921
suppose he had been given SlGS6.
GO5,70G To start him on his long spell
Of spending. That Is one estimate ot
the sum that 1t cost TO run this gov
crnme0t in 1920 on the morning Of
January !, 1921. this mythical dsburs,
ing officer, giving money AWAY at the
rate OF S. a minute. would have spent
only $jOi9,122,4o0, and would stll
te one OF the richest men In thr
3 world, for he would have left on
, hand S63G,Ss3,306 OF the original sum
Paying out at the rate Of s. minute
Tor more than 1900 years. he would
not have kept pace with the cost Of
upkeep Of this government for the one
single year 1920
! Suppose this imaginary government
> spendcr had been authorized 10 pa,
out at the rate OF SOB minute through
the centuries lie would not hay,
|, finished. on January ], 1921, paying
, FOR our share Of the cost Of the WOrlr
, war BY some S7S4,0S6,960. He would
have that much left over after paying
o out $23,225 .963, Gao. He would have beer
s paying out nearly 30 cents every soc
ond the clock licked for more than Il
centuries without being able to dis
charge our share OF the World wal
: cost.
DO YOU ever bother your head abou'
these bushels and bushels Of dollar,
that you contribute to the support nj
the government? You earned them
You know whether they came easily OF
not 10 you know where they Z,
after they leave YOU, how they ar,
srent, whether wisely or foolishly'
It's all your money, contributed for the
proper and economic conduct " YOU
business. There Is no such thing n,
government money. The government
never earned n cent.
You own the government and 20,
support II, and It is merely admins
tered by men OF your selection.
have always been puzzled about VII,
YOU do not take an active and engei
interest IN whot becomes OF YOU
money that you pay In taxes
But let's 60 on and get down e
cases.
-