Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-06-04

ton. The voice of the people," so often
referred to by the politicians, was
heard quite clear and strong by the
senators and the result was complete
reversal Of the position which the
President desired them to take.
Now, the point is this: If Mr.. Roose-
Welt had done as he has done on nu-
merouS occasions, he
Here'S could have avoided
the Point the situation that has
reacted unfavorably
to him. 1t will be recalled that sew
eral times the President has tried out
his theories on various governmental
problems and has studied the popular
reaction to his trial balloons. He did
not do this with the tax bill He left
the job of drafting the legislation to
the treasury and the treasury, being
populated with number of men who
have no conception whatsoever Of
business practices and care little for
American traditions, produced a piece
OF legislation that would have forever
prevented any business unit from saw
ing funds to carry it through times Of
depression, the prOverbial rainy day.
In the discussions around Washing
ton, 1t is frequently stated that had
Mr.. Roosevelt taken his so-called tax
experts into a room and made them
explain the character Of the bill they
were presenting, much Of the difficulty
would have been averted. But he did
not use this foresight and the result Is
now history. He has alienated a con-
siderable amount Of congressional sup
port that he ordinarily could have for
the mere asking.
AS the tax legislation stands, It is
nothing more nor less than a make
shift boost in rates. 1t has added moth
ing at all to strengthen the nations
general taxation policies. It seems to
me that the time Is ripe for a general
study Of the tax structure with the
idea in mind that wholesale revision
should take place and that scientific
methods should be employed. We must
not forget that we have a national
debt of more than thirty-one billions
and that several other billions in &C.
curitles are really to be counted In
since those obligations are guaranteed
by the United States. That debt must
be paid eventually and the revenue
must be raised in the only way that
the federal government can get IT'S
money, namely, by taxation. The con-
clusion, therefore, is inescapable that
we face heavy taxation and we may
as well face the music.
1t may be that all of the twenty-one
billions p tax payments and borrowed
money which Mr.. Roosevelt has ex-
pended can be justified in every re-
spect. 1t may be that in future years
the nation will be grateful that this
era of extravaganza Is a part Of our
history, but the fact still remains that
when government or an individual
borrows money, that money must be
returned to those who hold the evil
dence Of the debt.
The civil service commission lately has
compiled some statistics indicating that
the merit system In
y. ,. ray tn e federal govern
Roll Grouus ment is being pushed
aside at an alarming
rate. The commissions figures show
how every President since Arthur in
1888 has expanded the scope Of the
classified civil service during his adj
ministration until the administration
Of President Roosevelt.
1t would be list much too long to
record here how the number of en-
ployees Of the federal government has
increased each year as the government
has expanded but as a matter of his
tory 1t struck me as interesting to see
how 41.5 per cent Of employees Of the
federal government under President
Mckinley held their Jobs under the
civil service system and laws and how
this percentage increased to 61.5 per
cent under President Taft; to Y per
cent under President Wilson; to 79.S
per cent under Presidents Harding and
Coolidge, and to SOL per cent under
President Hoover.
By the end of June, 1885, the mum.
Der Of civil service employees in the |
federal government amounted to only
63.3 per cent Of the total number and,
while the civil service commission has
not tabulated the record for this year,
understand reliably that the ratio |
will be about 81 per cent Of the total. |
The total number of employees Of |
the federal government has grown con-
sistently since the turn of the century
when II stood at 258,O0O. In Taft's adj |
ministratlon, the total was $4,000.
President Wilson's first administration |
employed $4,000 and then with the
advent Of the World war the govern
ment expanded its personnel to its
highest point, 917OO0.
As the war agencies were liqudiated, |
the number of employees declined OBJ
viously until during the Harding and
Coolidge administrations the highest
point reached was $4,000. The Hoo
yer administration numbered $4,000
on the pay rolls but the election of
President Roosevelt Immediately
brought on greater numbers and by
June 30, 1885, there were 10000 on
the federal pay. roll and this number