Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-06-01

cation which inevitably inure to the
advantage of wealth and speclailzeo
| ability-all these have many times
| been recounted as reproaches TO US.
1t is strange that such laxities should
( persist in a time like the present,
Ahich is marked by determined
| upward movement in behalf of the
! social welfare. But they do exist
| They demonstrate a need for better
| prompter, less irksome, and ex-
| pensive administration of the laws
| They point the necessity for
simplifica ton and codification OF
/ laws; for uniformity of procedure:
| for more accurate dellmitauon OF
| State and Federal authority.
| All these problems constantly come
| in the work of political and social
develor ment. But they stand for a
vast progression toward better con-
| ditions, a better society, better
economic system. In approaching
| them, we need to have in mind the
! Federalist's analysis of our constitu-
! tional system:
"The powers delegated to the Fed
eral Government are few and de-
fined; those to remain in the hands
4, of the State Government are numer-
Gus and indefinite"
] That statement can not be toe
much emphasized. The countrys
growth has compelled the Federal
establishment TO exceed by far the
| Government plants of even the
greatest states. With this growth in
physical extent, in revenue, in per-
sonnel. there has. inevitably been the
suggestion that the Federal Govern
ment was overshadowing the states
Yet the state governments deal with
| far more various and more intimate
concerns of the people than docs the
National Government. All the oper-
ations of the minor civil divisions
parishes, wards, school districts
| towns, cities, counties, and the like
are dependencies of the State. The
maintenance of order through police
the general business of enforcing
law, is left to the states. So is edu-
cation. Property is held and trans
ferred on terms fixed by the states
| In short, the structure of social and
business relationship is built chiefly
about the laws of the states. 1t de-
| pends upon the exercise by the
states of thai vastly greater share OF
| Government power which resides in
them, to the exclusion of the Federal
Government. In ordinary times near
ly the entire burden of taxation
represents state and local demands
Even now, despite the enormous in
crease of Federal taxes from pre-
war years. state and local taxes far
exceed the Federal requirements
Moreover, the national burden is be-
ing constantly reduced, while that OF
the local units is growing and likely
to continue to grow.
Demand Too Much
Such is the real distribution OF
duties. responsibilities. and expenses
Yet people are given to thinking and
speaking of the National Govern
ment as "the Government" They de-
mand more from it than it was ever
intended to provide; and vet in the
same breath they complain that Fed
eral authority is stretching itself
over areas which do not concern it
On one side there are demands for
more amendments to the Constitu-
tion. On the other, there is too much
| opposition to those that already
| exist.
Without doubt. the reason for in
creasing demands on the Fedora
Government is that the states have
not discharged their full duties. Some
have done better and some worse
but as a whole they have not done
all they should. So demand has
| grown up for a greater concentration
of powers in the Federal Govern
mnet. If we will fairly consider it
we must conclude that the remedy
| would be worse than the disease
What We need IS not more Federal
government but better local govern
ment. Yet many people who would
agree to this have large RESPONSE
bility for the lapses of local au-
thority.
From every position of consistency
with our system, more Capitalization
ought to be avoided. The states
would protest, promptly enough
anything savoring of Federal usurpa
ton. Their protection will lie in
discharging the full obligations that
have been imposed on them. Once
the evasion of local responsibilities
becomes habit, there is no knowing
how far the consequences may reach
Every step in such a progression
Will be unfortunate alike for states
and nation. The country needs, in
graphing with the manifold prob
/ lens of these times, all the courage
intelligence. training, and skill thai
can be enlisted m both state and ma
tional administrations.
lnsidious Practices
One fnsidious practice which
sugar-coats the dose of Federal in
trusion is the division Of expense for
public improvements or services be-
tween state and national treasures
The ardent states-rights advocate
sees in this practice a vicious weak
ening Of the state system. The ex-
treme federalist is apt to look upon
it in cynical fashion as bribing the
states into subordination. The aver
age American. believing in our dual
sovereignty system, must feel that
the policy of national doles to the
states is bad and may become dis
astrous. We may go yet for a time
with the easy assumption that 'if the
states will not. the nation must y
But that way lies trouble. When the
national treasury contributes half
there is temptation to extra, agance
by the state. We have seen some
examples in connection with the
Federal contributions to road build
ing. Yet there are constant demands
Tor more Federal contributions
! Whenever by that plan we take
something from one group of states
and give it to another group, there is
grave danger that we do an economic
injustice on one side md a political
injury on the other. We impose un-
fairly on the strength of the strong,
and we encourage the weak to in
dulge their weakness.
| When the local government unit
evades its responsibility in one direc-
ton. it is started in the vicious way
! of disregard of law and laXity of liv-