The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-04-28
ECONOMIST FLAYS
PUBL|C'S ATTITUDE
TO SHIFT BURDEN
Asks Why Government Should
Manage Losing Bust
ness.
BY DR. LEWIS H. HANEY
Director of the Bureau of Research,
New York University, Written

IOT the OnlLeu FINANCIAL
NEW YORK. April 2S.-This is the
open season for all sorts of incon-
sistency and loose thinking. Politicians
are trying 10 show US how we can
have out money and spend it too.
Many groups of people seem to be
convinced that "hey can hoist them
selves over the fence by their own
bootstraps.
To begin with. there is the bonus
muddle. First, we are told that we
can spend several billion dollars on
bonus and at the same time reduce
taxation. Then Congress goes on
another tack and tells the Doughboys
that we can not afford to pay them
cash. but will give them insurance
claims which fall uue later on. That
is. after the present Congressman
have passed on. and the bills have to
be paid by these same young men who
were soldiers. the "boRus" will be
given. 1t viii come out of one pocket
and go into the other.
Shifting Burden
At least. this is one way of figuring
It. But probably lobbyists of the
Legion are thinking that they viii be
able to join the farmers. the laborers,
and other special interests, in the
pleasant occupation Of shifting the
burden to the other fellow. One of
the most serious and menacing signs
of the time is this tendency of the
citizen to treat his nation as though
he were not a part of it.
The tendency is to ask the Gov
eminent" 10 do it. Too many people
forget that they are a part of the
Nation and that what the Government
spends is theirs. ley are merely
trying to get the b # the deal. hop
ing to escape the duties and burdens
that each citizen should share.
To Protect Farmer
Here comes the farmer and his Nc
Nary Haugen bill, which is a bill de-
signed to benefit the farmer at the
expense of everybody else in the
country. This bill does more than as
sumo a high tariff to protect the farm
er from outside competition, as
many other industries are protected.
It goes protection one better and
seeks directly to boost the domestic
prices of certain farm products. Many
manufacturers have tariff protection.
but none, I believe, expects the Gov
eminent" to spend 100000 900 to
boost his prices far above a level
justified by the condition Of supply
and demand.
Buying up wheat at higher prices
than it can be sold for means loss.
Why should we want our Government
to go into a losing business?
Here, too. come the organized rail
way labor groups with their Powell
Barley bill. which would substitute
for the railway labor board. with its
representation Of the public. a system
of arbitration in which the public
emily is that the national labor organi-
cations desire to deal with individual
railways.
Tendency illogical
It does seem illogical for us to regu-
late railway management at every
turn-from car service and boilers to
rates and capitalization and then al
low railroad labor to tie up our trans
portation systems and increase their
expenses at will.
The whole drift toward Government
ownership. or Government aid to spe-
ciaI classes of able-bodied men. is
sign of weakness. or selfshness. or