Evening star., 1933-02-09


! for the people, but for groups ant
| blocs. And that, too, is bad.
The old-time Senator of the Specia
| interests was often guilty of reprehen
sible conduct, highly prejudicial to tn,
public interest, but as a type he did no
dip his hsnds deeply into the Fedora
| Treasury to scatter the money of tht
taxpayers far and wide as does the latel
| date Senator of groups and blocs.
Bloc control is the most costly gov.
ernmental evil ever foisted on thu
American taxpayers, and the Senate
has fallen for that evil to an ever
greater extent than the House"
Designed as Expose"
The subtitle of Mr.. Ludlow's book il
"An Expose of Federal Bureaucracy anc
It's Wasteful and Evil Tendencies" Mr.
Ludlow had long experience as a news.
paper man in Washington prior to hi.
entry into the House as Democratic
member from Indiana.
He went all the way back to the days
OF John Adams to start his story Of
governmental extravaganza. He pointed
out that John Adams, when Vice Presi-
dent, was guilty of the first extrava-
gsnce when he raided the Federal
Treasury to the extent of $35 for a
looking glass. This caused an uproal
and he was lambasted in the press and
in speeches from irate citizens.
In comparing the men of today and
yesterday, Mr.. Ludlow said that men
formerly did not mortgage their homes
ana that when farmers went to town
Saturday with their wives, they brought
their own lunch of buns and sausages.
Today, he said everything is paid for
by the installment plan, houses, cars,
radios and furniture.
Congressional candidates, Mr.. Ludlow
declared, are no longer asked, will
you, If elected, stand for economy?" but
IF you are elected, will you vote for
the appropriation wanted by our
group"
Cites Famous "Watchdogs."
The Indiana Representative told of
certain famous watchdogs of the Treas
ury. Francis Marion Cockren of Missouri,
William B. Allison, william S. Holman
OF Indiana and Uncle Joe" Cannon
He said that even up to the time of
Uncle Joe," men at least hesitated
and bargained about appropriations.
Mr.. Ludlow pointed out that In 1913
the cost of the Federal Government per
capita was $7.51 and in 1882 it was $40
and that out Of every dollar appro-
priated by Congress for all purposes, "a
cents goes to pay for war, the prepara-
tions for war and the effects of war.
The forefathers, Mr.. Ludlow said,
concluded that "the least governed, the
best governed" He added there are
now more than 500 commissions, boaros,
agencies and establishments dependent
on the Federal Government and sup
ported by taxpayers money. He quoted
the case of the physician in the House
OF Representatives who treats members
tree OF charge. Last year two young
men from the Naval Medical Corps
were assigned to him as assistants and
in order that they might have the
right training, they were sent away to
college to take postgraduate medical
course at the expense of the United
States Treasury. This year the ply
sician asked for another assistant. His
(the physic1an's), salary Is $6 ,036 year.
Mr.. Ludlow attacked the appropria-
tionS given to Congressmen's wives
when their husbands die in service and
sees NO reason why the Government
should pay the exorbitant funeral ex-
penses. He told how $500 was once
paid for Sen etors casket.
Building Waste Hit.
The wastefulness of the public build
ing construction was attacked by Mr..
Ludlow, who said that the Post Office
Building, which is only 80 years old. Is
going to be razed because its facade
does not suit the highbrow critics" I"
These critics, he says, are also attempt
ing to ''lift the face of the War, State
and Navy Building, because it Is so
fashioned" The total outlay. he
says, cost $50, 900 900, which is 26 times
as much as the United States paid for
Alaska.
He attacked the waste in Govern
ment printing. 1t costs the Government
about S20,000,000 a year to prepare,
print and disseminate bureaucratic
bulletins. The Congressional Record
alone costs about $58 per page, and any
Senator can have anything he wants
put in the Record by the leave to
print" rule.
He attacked the building of dirigjbles,
which have cost the United States so
far $25, 900 900, and there have been 19
fatal accidents to dirigibleS all over the
world. England has abandoned their
construction, he said.
He described an appropriation made
by Congress Of 81 SOC, ,000,0 900 for incun-
abula for the Library Of Congress and
suggested CIldL ulOSt Oh CIle UleLlUcIo ildU
to hurry to a dictionary after they had
made the appropriation and look up the
wordl Most of the manuscripts were
written In old Latin.
Bear Census Cited.
He described the way Government Of
ficials spend weeks counting the bears
on Admiralty Island, in Alaska. He
added that $40, 900 of the money appro-
priated to the Territory of Alaska was
spent by an expert Government sleuth
to get some parts of a wolf for scientific
research. He returned with two red
foxes, two wolverines, one coyote and
one weasel, with total value of $3.50.
Mr.. Ludlow said that bureaucracy
was kept alive. by public indifference
and that it is only possible to save by
gigantic consolidation. He suggested
that the Army and Navy Department
be combined into department Of ma
tional defense and that a great deal
could be done by combining the Depart
ments of Interior, Commerce and Agri-
culture. He suggested that the Presi-
dent be given carte blanche to carry
out this monumental task with no
strings attached by which congressional
approval would be necessary, but, he
says, the people must change their at
titude from passive indifference to