The Glenwood post., 1922-02-02
Copyright, westefn Nswssepsr Unsss
MAGNITUDE OF BILLIONS

MAGNITUDE OF BILLIONS
have been throwing the incredible
figures at your head. Neither you nor
anybody else has the faintest concep-
ton Of what one billion dollars really
Is. We speak familiarly Of billions az
commonplace, but most Of us live
our lives in terms Of hundreds.
l have shown you that every one
Of us, man, woman and child. In this
country, paid last year $5377 each
toward the support Of the government.
OF course, every person does not pay
exactly $53.77. A great many pay
more and some pay less; but those
who pay the most try to take 1t out
Of those who pay the least by increas-
ing the prices of what they have to
sell, or of services rendered or work
performed, so that it averages out at
$53.77. Some pay more than their
share. others pay less. This is called
an 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
1924, 100000, 600, or, including our loans
to foreign governments, which have
not been repaid. $33, ,455, 900, ,O0O These
are official treasury figures. Do not
let your eyes run over them lightly.
Thirty-three billion four hundred and
fifty-five million dollars is an almost
incomprehensible sum. The cost Of
running the national government il
now around $1,000. 900 900 year. The
experts say that for the next two or
three years the cost of the government
will not descend below about $4,000
100000 year.
want you clearly to understand the
immensity, the magnitude, the over
whelmins size of such sums. We
chatter about billions nowadays with
out in the least knowing what is
billion. Let me try to bring 1t home
to you. 1t is now. roughly speaking.
1920 years since the birth of Christ.
We do not know precisely and accu-
rately at what hour and on what day
Christ was born. But under the Gre
gorian calendar. according to which
we now reckon time, we have
record Of the days since January first
of the year one. Ammo Domini. From
the beginning of the year one to Jan
uary 1. 1921, there elapsed about 701.-
267 days, or. to reduce 1t further.
QQ0 400 gok,
again. means s1.O09, 1924 4sO minutes.
will ask you to remember that the
whole history of the modern world
from the first second of the year one
to the last second of the year 1920
has been compressed into 1,OO9, ,S24, 4SO
minutes.
Now let us suppose that with the
permission Of the Roman authorities
the United States had established a
disbursing officer at Jerusalem OH the
first day OF the year one with instruc.
tiOns to pay out S5 minute day and
night. Sundays and holidays included.
right down through the centuries to
New Years dny, 1921.
Suppose he had been given $685.
OO5,706 to start him on his long spell
of spending. That is one estimate of
the sum that 1t cost to run this gov-
ernment in 1920. On the morning Of
January l, 1921, this mythical dIsburs-
ing officer. giving money away Mt the
rate Of $5 minute. would have spent
only 5000. LIZ, 400. and would still
be one of the richest men In the
world. for he would have left on
hand S636 6,SS3,3O6 Of the original sum.
Paying out Mt the rate of IS a minute
for more than 1000 years, he wou'd
not have kept pace with the cost Of
upkeep Of this government for the one
single year 1920.
Suppose this imaginary government
spender had been authorized To ln,y
out ut the rate of SOB a minute through
the centuries. He would not have
finished, on January ], 1921, paying
for our sharc of the cost OF the Word
war by some S7Sl.O36. 800. He would
have that much left over after paying
out S23.225. .983O O40. He would have henn
pnying cut nearly IN cents every see.
ond the clock licked for more tl,nn 10
centuries without being able 10 Il T.
Charge our share Of the World war
cost
DO you ever bother your head about
these bushels and bushels of dollars
that you contribute to the support of
the government? You earned them
? YOn know whether they came tasty OF
not. DO yOu know where they 60
after they lenve YOU how they are
srent, whether wisely or foolshiy?
ITS all your money. contributed for the
proper and economic conduct Of your
business. Tier, Is no such thin ns
government money. The government
never earned a cent
Yon own the govern 'chi nnd ynu
supRurt It.. and II IL merely ndninIs-
tered by men Of your selection. I
have always been p,tzzl d .ibonI Why
A.