The Delta independent., 1924-05-16
PENDING BILLS WOULD
BRING FINANCIAL RUIN
excerpt from President Coolidge's
Address at Annual Luncheon of
the Associated Pressl

HoL Iully recovered, Is revealed by
consideration of the bills which are
pending before the Congress. Exceed
ingly great efforts have been put
forth to reduce the cost of govern
ment Hundreds of thousands Of pub
lie employees have been released, and
every department has been thoroughly
debated and placed under most com
petent financial supervision. The
country, as a whole, is demanding
with great yigor every possible relief
from the burden of every unnecessary
expenditure.
Yet Notwithstanding this, minority
groups of one kind or another, and
| organizations, sometimes almost ma
tion-wide in their ramifications, are
making the most determined assaults
upon the public Treasury l am ad-
vised by the director of the Bureau of
the Budget that careful computation
discloses that there are bills pending
that are seriously pressed for passage,
not including the bonus, which would
increase the expenditures of the feder-
al government for next year by about
s3,609O0O 900
This would mean that outside of the
Postoftice department, which is prac-
tically self-sustaintng. the present
rate Of expenditure would be more
than doubled. Each one of these
items taken by itself is not large,
and its supporters argue that certain
ly the government can afford to make
this small additional payment But
taken in the aggregate they make the
stupeudous sum have mentioned, and
their assumption by the government
would mean nothing less than financi-
al disaster to the nation.
! The law of service must be applied
to this situation. Our country is very
rich, but were its possessions in
creased many fold, it would not be
warranted in paying out money except
for value received. Value received on
the part Of the government is estimat-
ed by a general consideration of all
the attending conditions. At present
our country does not need a greater
outlay OF expense but a greater ap-
plicatiun Of constructive economy.
The state of mind is revealed again
in the determined resistance which is
made 10 the adoption OF a sound meth
cd Of taxation The main argument of
the opposition can all be reduced to
the supposition that the general public
can be relieved OF taxation and
greater portion of taxes laid on the
rich. shall not examine the sound
ness Of this proposal the economic
injury which it would inflict. OF its
impossiblity as working principle
I mention it as another example of an
attempt to minister to supposed de-
sire to evade the law of service.
It seems as though the public is
assumed to desire to have the advan-
tages OF q government without paying
I its part OF the cost OF maintaining it.
Besides being convinced that such a
result is utterly impossible of &C
compnshment. ! am even more firmly
of the belief that it misrepresents the
general attitude of the public mind
Moreover, the success Of the govern
mant does not lie in wringing all the
revenue it can from the people. but in
making their burden as light and fair
ly distributed as possible, consistent
with the proper maintenance Of the
necessary public functions. The gov
eminent itself in order to be success
full, and all those connected with it,
must put all OF their energy upon what
they can do for the people, not upon
what they can get out Of them
These are some OF the reasons
which reveal TO us why. in our do
nestle affairs, we must be possessed
OF accurate information OF the doings
and needs OF others. in order that We
may best serve ourselves by serving
them through appropriate action. We
are all a part of one common country.
To be in a healthy and successful con,
|dttion economically. means free in.
terplay OF competition in service.
based upon that mutual faith in each
other which we term public conf.
dence.
character OF recent revelations, not.
withstanding the enormous pressure
for the passage OF legislation which
would greatly increase the cost OF
maintaining the government OF the
United States, Notwithstanding the
failure OF a majority OF the Congress
up to the present time to accurately
comprehend and expeditiOusly TO
minister to the need OF taxation re,
form. believe that the requirements
Of economy and reduced taxes will be
met in way not Inconsistent with the
great resources of our country.
Final reports OF the 1928 United
states sugar beet crop. show that
OO60 600 short tons Of beets were