Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-03-13

Tue NoA1o, our TAX rates among the
lowest and IL you point to in
creaees in taxes here and there
and mostly In indirect taxes
taxes at that-still they attracted lit
tie attention as long as We had such
an overfowing bounty with which to
replenish the treasury as fast as it
was depleted and as long as our tax
demands were s modest as they were
fifteen and ten and eight years ago.
And then the World War, and YOU
all know what happened to taxes. In
a span of years less than the number
or fingers on one hand our feather
weight tax burden tremendously in
creased and this great country for the
first time in two generations. at least,
faced the urgent need Of doing some
thing and doing it quickly toward
shrinking tho cost Of government. To-
day the entire financial program of the
country is based on the sane and sim
pie resolution that we cannot spend
what we have not got and keep out of
debt- In the interest of the tax
payer We must confine our expeudi-
lures to the smallest amount sufficient
to carry on the operation of this great
government of ours and in the interest
OF economy we must not spend a cent
more than that amount, but must
spend wisely and we'll and in accord
with the scientific system of distribu-
tion that has been worked out.
Today the first policy of this gov
ernment is the policy of q balanced
budget. of expenditures we'll within
its receipts. and the director of the
bureau of the budget stands today
with the president Of the United
States in his determination to cut
down government expenditures. reduce
taxes and lower the public debt and at
the same time keep balanced budget
President Harding, almost with the
birth Of the budget. expressed the hope
that during his administration annual
expenditures Of the federal govern
ment, exclusive Of what was applied
to the reduction of the debt, might be
brought down within three billions OF
dollars. President Harding affirmed
that objective to the director of the
bureau Of the budget who. having
served for many years in the United
states army, regarded the orders of
his superior as admitting of no ques-
tion and as constituting an imperative
mandate that must be reflected in act
ual performance.
AS result, the past three years
have been years Of earnest striving on
the part Of the budget director to
achieve what many considered to be
impossible. the bringing of our annual
federal expenditures, exclusive OF debt
reduction, within three billions OF dol.
lars. Sleeping and waging that objec-
tive has been continuously in his
thought. Mirrored in the sky. reflect
ed in the raindrops. rising above the
noise OF the thoroughfare, whispering
in moments Of solitude, demanding at
tention amid the cares OF office, clam
oring for hearing in the seclusion OF
the home. encroaching upon the silent
watches of the night, it has been an
imperious and insistent demand, and
as the months have dragged their
weary lengths along, and as the end
OF each recurring year drew near, he
could sympathize with the colored
woman at the grave of her husband
who had led a sinful and riotous life
and who. as the tears coursed down
her cheeks and moistened the freshly
turned earth, sobbed. Il hopes YOU Is
where I 'spects you aint." tLaughter.)
And so. hoping against hope. we have
looked forward thinking that possibly
find ourselves where we expected VIC
would not be--within the presidents
three billion dollar limitation. And
while we have not yet attained our OBJ
jective, Mr.. President. we have made
real progress and We have approached
tantalizingly near our goal.
Federal expenditure in 1921. which
was the last pre-budget year-will yor
carry that definitely in your thought
-1921 was the last pre-budget year
the last year without budget control
In 1921 we took your money--the tax
payers money-and we spent Il to the
extent of s5,115,927. .s69.30. and that
was exclusive of what we applied tt
the reduction OF the debt. In 1922
the first year Of budget control--agair
excluding reduction Of the debt. We
took your money and We spent it te
the extent Of $3.372.607,s9sS4.
Now while this was $1,743,000,O0
less than we spent in the precedins
year, we were still $372, 100000 wide
OF our objective. In 1928 we tried
again. and that year We spent 49,
294,627,52916. Again. my hearers.
notable reduction in expenditure be-
low the preceding year. but still
1924 900, 600 short Of our mark. But
hope ever springs eternal in the hu.
man breast" and in 1924 we tried
again, and that was the last full
year. That ended with June 3otf
last, and that year We spent YOU
money to the extent OF S3,048,677,'
965.34-an extraordinary reduction ir
expenditure below the preceding
year and within $4S,000, 900 Of our OBJ
jective.
Knowing in the last week in Jun'
that we were getting pretty close tt
the mark, and knowing that in three
years we had reduced Federal ex
penditure two billions of dollars, ant
in three years we had absolutely Gu
the ordinary expenses of government
in two, with what I considered 1usti'
fable pride l stated our accomplish
ment to a certain member of Con
gress and listened almost breathless'
ly for his expected enthusiastic COM
mendation: and he quietly said, "Tha'
is very good" Then 1 thought of th'
story of the school boy to whom thu
teacher gave this problem: "How
much are two times thirteen?" AND
the boy said, Twenty Six" Th'
teacher, said Every good" and thu
boy replied. Hell. it's perfect.
daughter and applause).
Your Excellency, no one outside O
the Federal Service can have an!
adequate comprehension Of the
amount Of toll and trouble and ira
vail and effort and hope and dis
couragement and encouragement ant
sacrifice that are involved in thai
extraordinary cut of two billions oi
dollars in Federal expenditure. i
merited something more than per-
functory. every good" 1t is Yer!
difficult for any Of us to get any
thing like an adequate idea of what
a billion dollars really means, ant
herein lies the trouble. We speak to-
day as casually Of billions as we
spoke of millions before the Worlt