The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-02-03

Assume that you have sent me to
Washington to find out for you what
your agents are doing, how they are
managing yonr affairs and spending
your money. call them your agents
for thar is all they are-the President,
the members of the cabinet, the
senator's and 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 as a group of eminent states
men, or you may call them in tlippanc!
and too hasty contempt "a lot Of
politicians" But whatever you call
them, they are your hired men. They
attend to your collective business.
which is called the public business.
Query: Are they doing il efficiently
and with II single minded devotion to
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
=
preparation for war. About 30 per
cent of all government revenues. and
that means the money taken from you
rs taxes. goes to pay for wars. past
present and future.
Before I have concluded this series
of articles expect to show you con
clusively that the impelling 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 a rednc
tiOn or limitation by agreement of war
expenditure was not made entirely on
the ground of morality or righteous
ness. hut as a plan for cutting down
the operating expenses of the govern
ment.
II the United States government
were an individual we would say that
II was broke. FOR Its expenses exceed
Its income
Your interest is simply this that
whatever decision is made you viii
have tn pay the bin. If today we
didn't have these army and navy ey
penses you would have to pay In taxes
less than 81 600. 600 600 a year instead
Of $4,000 100000. That means we
would have about $4,000. 0O0,O00 more
u year to spend ON our private needs
and pleasures. frankly confess that
| would enjoy having four-hfths of my
taxes Knocked Off 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 $1,000 600 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 S20.OO0,000, than $1,000
600. 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 it, In its
simplest terms the procedure is this:
Iou cuiIi tHS un'lltN. tulISttSS tahtS IL
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. and by
the executive officers of the govern
ment, who do the actual spending 1t
is your money that you have earned
in your business. on your farm or by
the labor of your hands, that is being
expended and wasted at Washington.
Every cent that is extravagantly or
needlessly expended by the govern,
ment you could have in your pocket to
meet the increased cost of food. lodg
Ing and clothing, doctors bills and
amusements, or to put away and save
against rainy day. If you only de
manded determInedy and unitedly
that governmental extravaganza should
cease.
! can tell you some of the conditions
Of governmental spending and how
your money Is chucked about. and !
can tell you how you can stop il. The
power Is yours, and until you exer-
else 1t waste and extravaganza will
not stop.