The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-01-19
HOW OUR DEBTS GREW

now come to the time when there
should be some appreciable effect of
this sustained movement which has
finally made the people tax conscious,
and economy conscious. While the
present session of Congress, Judging
from the current outlook, will accom-
plish little toward the reduction of
national expenditures and the balanc-
ipg of the budget, it is likely that a
special session of the new Congress
will be called shortly after March 4.
Then the new Democratic administra-
ton will have chance to show what
it can do on the all-important subject
of reducing public expenditures. If
it fails, then it will be just too bad
for the future of the new administra-
ton and we are apt to see some
startling changes after the 1884
election.
But all of the work of economy
cannot be done by the national gov
eminent. A great deal of it must
come through the efforts of the
states and the local government.
Here again the situation is timely.
Nearly all of our state legislatures
are now in session or will be some
time during the spring. 1t is now up
to the people to see that their local
representatives do something to help
tighten the tax burden through the
promotion of economy and the cut
ting down of public expenditures.
In order to understand just how
far we must go in this respect one
ought to consider for moment just
how far we have as a nation, inflated
our expenditures. In a booklet re-
Gently published, Gertler, Devet and
Company point out that the estimat-
ed public Indebtedness of our federal,
state and local governments in 1902
was $3,O00,000,000. In the next
decade it grew to little less than
| five billions. Then the fun began.
Now the estimated total debt of our
various units of government is
around $37,O0O,OOO,0OO. Just think
of it! An increase of lib percent
from 1903 to 1882. During the same
time the expenditures of our federal,
state and local governments rose $50
percent.
"To make this huge sum more
understandable" the article continues,
zone dollar out of every three of the
total income of our entire national
population is consumed in the sup
port of our government and their
subdivisions. This orgy of spending
by municipalities, with few excep-
ton, has been very little curtailed up
to the present, even though the en-
tire country has passed from a
period of unprecedented initiation to
one of dire depression during the
past three years. The same voters
who authorized unjustified bond
issues are now demanding retrench-
ment in municipal and state expendi-
lures, clamoring for reduction in
taxes both personal and real.
During the past year, reductions
in budgets have of necessity been
generally prevalent, but by no means
have they been cut sufficiently, nor
nearly as much as is possible; cur
tailments will have to be made in
every branch of government; this re-
quires immediate, honest, earnest,
and scientific study and will be
forced on politicians loath to give up
their sinecures, in order that munich
pal credits be maintained or restored.
Refreshments of at least Is per-
cent should be made by state and
local governments; expansion pro-
grams should be drastically reduced;
planned public works that are not
absolutely necessary should be de-
deferred; employment of men in dis
tress should be on projects benef-
cial or of a self-liquidating nature.
Large curtailments in operating
costs could be effected through con-
solicitations of bureaus, overlapping
districts and departments where
duplication of effort is most pro-
nounced."
1t is of course true that a start in
economy has been made during the
past year or so. There has of ne
cessity been a reduction in the pub
lie budgets. But there is still great
distance to go if we are to debate our
public expenditures as they should
be debated to match the new era in
which we are now living. A start
has been made in many localities
where expenditures have been cut
and taxes are to be reduced this
year.
But the people must not go to
sleep on the job. The good work
must be continued, and the numerous
sessions of the state legislatures this
year make good place to continue.