Evening star., 1934-02-04
GOVERNMENT TAX-EATERS
MAY SOON RULE COUNTRY
Observer Cites Tremendous Increase
I'm Number of Persons on State
and Federal Pay Rolls.
BY THOMAS NIXON CARVER.
Professor Emeritus Harvard University.

~ OVERNMENT of the people.
for the people and by the
7 people is in danger of devel-
~ oping into government of, for
and by Observation-Disclosures
called voters who are on the pay rolls
q the Government. Every extension
Of Government control or manage
ment increases the number of voters
who receive money from the Govern
ment. Their numbers are already
great. when we consider our various
governments. national, State and To-
cal. 1t is quite possible that they may
some time outnumber the actual tax
payers who are aware that they pro-
vide the money. Even before that
point is reached the receivers Of Gov
ernment money may hold the balance
Of power and determine the results of
elections.
When that time comes there will be
more voters who are benefited. or
think that they are benefited by Gov
eminent extravaganza than by Gov
ernment economy AS those who are
on Government pay rolls increase in
number and political power, they are
not likely to vote to narrow down the
functions of Government, to reduce
the number of Government jobs or
the size of Government pay rolls
They may even become class con-
sclous and organize to promote their
own class interests as other employees
have been known to do when they
became numerous enough to WELD
power.
When that time comes the unfor-
tunate taxpayer finding himself hope
lessly outnumbered. or at least out
voted may have no alternative but to
throw up the game and seek for him.
self place on the pay roll of the city,
State or Federal Government. That
will land us in an extreme form of
state socialism. which will be bad
even for those on the Government pay
rolls because there will be nobody to
tax to pay the deficits resulting from
Government miSmanagement.
Salaries Instead of Profit.
When governments limit themselves
to the essential work of governing
that is, to the suppression of violence
and fraud, the enforcement of con-
tracts and the adjudication of dis
putes-Government employees are not
numerous enough to constitute a
menace. But our governments, Fed
eral, State and municipal, have gone
far beyond those simple duties, and
It looks as though they were deter
mined to go still farther. We are even
talking about a partnership of Gov
eminent with private enterprise in
the management of business. The
Government claims to be a non profit
making partner. But this so-called
partnership has multiplied and must
continue to multiply the number of
voters on the Government pay roll.
These will have to be paid and the
other partner will pay them in the
form of taxes. To the. payers it will
be cold comfort to be told that the
payees are receiving salaries instead
Of profits.
This so-called partnership of Gov
ernment with private enterprise not
only multiplies the number of voters
on the Government pay roll for the
other partner to pay, but they con-
dnue to draw their salaries whether
the Government manages wisely or
unw1sely, successfully or unsuccess-
FULLY. The Government. as partner,
can never become bankrupt so long as
there are taxpayers who may be
assessed to pay for the Government S
mistakes. The other partner must
pay the bills out of the receipts of the
business or be closed out. The first
partner. the Government, can never
be closed out.
In one respect at least the Gov
srnment is like the grave; it takes but
Il does not give up. When q munich
pal, State or Federal Government
takes on new function it does not
1et go. BY taking on a new function
= adds definitely to the number OF
voters whose salaries depend upon the
setention and the enlargement of the
hew function. Thus there is created
. considerable body of voters who
know which side of their bread Is
buttered. Not only are they voters
themselves, but they are capable OF
influencing other voters, especially OF
the -taxpaying class. Tnls body
Of voters is not likely to maneuvcr
Itself out Of job by voting to take
the Government out OF an activity
once entered upon.
May Be Reason for Failure.
A. already suggested, our various
governments have gone far beyond
the simple duties of keeping order
Snd settling disputes. That may be
one Of the reasons why they are fail
ing 20 dismally in the essential work
that governments are supposed to do
That they are failing is evidenced by
their helplessness in dealing with all
sorts OF criminals. from common
thugs, kidnapers and gangsters to
bank wreckers and officers of corpo-
rations who speculate in the stock of
their own corporations, an operation
which even professional gamblers
would condemn. The prevalence of
crime and fraud. the suppression of
which is the original reason for gov
eminent. Is an indictment of all our
governments, national, State and To-
al. 1t is time for us to consider
whether any government that doesn't
Vvsn govern should undertake any
thing else.
However, the question we are con-
Rdering here IS not the usefulness OF
pu these new Government activities
let us assume, for the moment at
least, that they are useful and worth
all the money they cost. The ques-
tion is whether the interests of tax
payers and the general citizenry are
safe in the hands of a growing class
Of voters whose interest the Govern
ment tends to center in its pay roll
This question does not suggest thai
those who receive Government money
ere different from other people. W.
need not fear that they will assume
IN active role and themselves start {
campaign for bigger and better Gov.
rnment pay rolls-the politicians vii
do the initiating. Bigger and better
pay rolls" may become as good a vote.
getting slogan as bigger and better
pensions ever was.
Tax-eaters include not only regular
employees Of the Government who arr
trying to earn their salaries, but {
great army of beneficiaries who car
scarcely be said to be working fo
anybOdy. We are for eyan,nle facef