Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-16
Budget Cannot Correct Evils
Due to Too Much Government

National or State, turks tho evil of
unnecessary officials held to be neces-
sary because of unnecessary Govern
ment interference in private and cor
porate affairs and unnecessary ex-
Fermentation IN government alon &
lines thought to be good for an indi-
Vtdual, group, class or section. AS q
matter OF fact. artificial regulation
rarely regulates. The best regulator
in the business life of the world is
competition. and this is a natural
regulator, not created by Legislative
| bodies.
| We thought we had to have public
service commissions In the various
States to regulate utilities. We were
| unwilling to limit the power of cor
porations when applications for their
| charters were received and unwilling
to trust to competition to protect us
| against exorbitant rates. Now we
| find these public service commissions
authorizing monopolies. which are
charging more for service than the
people ever before were called upon
to pay. When State commission
| here or there makes an effort to pre-
serve the rights of the people the
United States courts declare that the
| rates proposed by the commission are
conf1scatory. Yet we spend millions
of dollars each year In a futile and
unnecessary effort to regulate our
utilities. This expenditure is a factor
in the burden OF taxation that rests
upon the people.
The end is not yet in sight we
are taxing farm lands out Of any
valuable ownership to those who hold
the titles: we are enabling the rich
| to- avoid taxation through ax-exem pt
| securities; we are not satisfied, APP
parently, with only one official to
every IL or Is of our populations; we
proclaim still further duties for the
| Government to take on in order TO
relieve citizens of duties distinctively
their own: and yet we talk about a
reduction in taxes. Just now we are
hearing that the State should take
over the business of insuring its citi.
gems against injury in automobile ac-
eidents, tho Insurance to be compul-
| sorry. AS every automobile would
| have to be insured, we would have the
| spectacle of responsible citizens pay
Ing fees In order to provide a fund
for the insurance Of automobiles be-
longing to joyriders, hootleggers and
other irresponsible persons.
Not directly, but indirectly; not with
| the knowledge and consent OF the
| people, but because so many of us
are blind TO what Is going on. We are
| moving toward SO much Governme nj
! control of private business and pri-
waite property that specialization OF
practically all of America that is
worth the having may be ultimately
expected. Now Is good time-in-
deed. a necessary time for tho citi-
sen and Official who believes that
| the basic principle OF the Republic
| Is the right to own and control pri-
vate property to scrutinize every pro-
posal involving an appropriation in
| order to determine whether Il Is an
expenditure of real public interest
| II this shall be done we shall have
| less government and lower taxes
Unless IT is done we may expect 10
| approach situation where the citi-
zen may own the rind Of the lemon
| but the Government will have all the
juice.
Copyright. 1924. By oIst Century Press)