White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-09-01

card or disregarding regulations con-
corning it should be heavy.
! realize that the inconvenience Of |
the card identification system would
be burdensome. But it would be con-
siderably less burdensome than the
breakdown of our system for appre-
hending criminals. The cards would
not be cure-all, but they would be
great help. No honest man could OBJ
ject to plan which would materially
aid in rounding up criminals.
Just as the depression has finally
opened our eyes to the magnitude Of
our crime problem, so has it brought
home to us the very extravagant &C.
tivities of unwise politicians during
our prosperity orgy. While the citi-
zens have neglected their public du-
ties, the politicians have quietly but
enormously increased the cost Of gov
eminent, locally and nationally. Ex-
penditures of the national government
in 1918 were approximately $700,OOO,-
600, exclusively Of interest payments
on the public debt. In 1881 they had
increased to approximately S2,OOO,OOO,-
600, exclusive Of interest payments on
the public debt and expenses incident
to the World war. The cost of ad
ministration of local governments
throughout the country increased from
1854 100000 in 1918 to $7,126,0OO,000
/ in 1929 The budget Of one Of our
| cities. New York. for 1882, is greater
| than the expenditures Of the entire
| national government for 1908. Some
| of these increases, unquestionably,
| have been necessary for expansion and
for coping with the more complex
problems of today But an alarming
portion of them have been with an eye
to jobs for the politicians friends.
Unnecessary offices, boards, commits
sons, have been profligately multi
piled.
And now, when our national rev.
enues shrink. there is little done
toward applying the logical remedy Of
reducing expenses. Instead, legisla
tors resort to the vicious policy of in
creasing taxes, both direct and indi-
rect. Thus the citizen finds himself
burdeRd with the staggering load.
But can he, with clear conscience,
complain? He cannot. He elected
these legislators he saw them pile up
lavish appropriations, and he elected
them again. During the boom days
the citizen was too busy In specula-
ton himself to worry about the ma.
tional debt or the local debt.
So with municipal affairs. During
prosperity the citizens cheerfully
looked on while the politicians multi
piled unnecessary offices, gave ex
travagant contracts to their friends
for public improvements, passed laws
favoring special interests. and loaded
the public with invisible taxes in the
form Of graft Now many of our
great cities are threatened with in
solvency. Their depreciating securi-
ties imperil the solvency of banks
where the citizen has his money. The
citizen again discovers that he is the
victim. But is he not the victim Of
his own neglect Of the plainest duties
of citizenship?
In the situation that now confronts
him, the citizen Is cropping. What can
he do now? What practical action can
he take7
He is told to go to the polls and
cast his vote, which is an old story to
him. but by itself it will not remedy
the situation for too often the candi.
dates of each party are incompetent or
corrupt.
There is a great deal more to polit.
ical duty than going to the polls to
vote A body of uninformed citizens
hocking to the polls. prompted only
by good intentions. Is about as effec.
tive az an army made up Of unframed
men marching to battle.
Year after year. under universal
suffrage. there has grown wider di.
vergence between theory and practice
in our political economy.
To perform his civic duties effec-
lively II Is no longer enough for the
citizen to understand the theory OF
politics He must study its practice
That means time. trouble. and hard
work He must study the political forces
at work in his own neighborhood. his
own ward his own district He must
20 to political meetings. associate with
politicians. find out who are the polit.
ical leaders behind the scenes, drop In