Evening star., 1936-06-24

1alIn IN lne SURVIVAL OF the DeSt as
well as the flttest."
have perpetrated the wrongs Of the
past.
To call this a platform is fiattery
indeed. 1t is revolving eve that
looks in all directions and sees moth
ing.
But the people have been told that
the foundations of national credit are
sinking because OF an unbalanced
budget.
Deficits and debts! Who began the
deficits which have covered every
year since 1920? Did the last Re
publican administration balance the
budget? They merely juggled the
estimates of revenue and expendi-
lures. Spending little to retrieve dis
aster, they increased the public debt
by more than 100000. 900.
In the hymns of hate which ema-
mated from the recent outbursts Of
Republican oratory in national con-
vention, deficits and debts and taxes
are treated as new development Of
the Roosevelt administration. The
New Deal is portrayed as the father
Of one. the mother Of another and the
godfather of the other.
But these apostles of concealment
withheld from their fervid Jeremiahs
the fact that during the four long
years of Mr.. Hoover the accumulated
deficit in the Treasury amounted to
more than $4,000, 900 900. although
they increased consumers taxes from
IS to so per cent.
They did not tell you and will not
tell you that during the creation of
these deficits and unbalanced budgets
there was no Federal relief program
and no public works program. That
States and Counties and cities threw
this burden on the Federal doorstep
not under Hoover but under Roose-
welt.
1t was a task for which the Federal
Government was not prepared. But
there was no alternative but to as
sumo it.
nv IL oS II was LIldI
should be loaned to the States to be
at some time repaid.
Some States Undertook
To Assist Relief.
This course for various reasons, one
being that many Of the States could
not obligate themselves. had to be
abandoned. 1t was understood and it
was theoretically required that the
States should make substantial con-
tributions to the relief of their own
| people.
Some Of them undertook in good
faith to meet the requirement. Others
did nothing. Some States were able
to balance their budgets because they
made no contribution out of their
treasures to feed or clothe or house
the helpless
Those who seek to play miserable
politics with human misery shout that
these billions Of dollars spent for re-
lief and work have been poured out
in reckless waste
The Works Progress Administra-
ton has given employment to $780,
600 people. 95 per cent OF whom were
taken from the relief rolls in the
several States.
With the money and labor thus pro-
vided between $4,000 and 10000
worthy projects Of public need and
value have been constructed and re-
paired. These include school houses,
water and sewer systems, parks and
Fairgrounds. public buildings, food
control systems, Airports, farm-to-
market highways, streets and other
public improvements.
In addition, the Public Works Ad-
ministration, through grants and loans
to local communities, has given EN-
ployment to more than $500, 900 work.
ers for full year.
have been wasted? Who shall say
that these thousands OF useful addi-
tions to the property Of thousands of
communities all over the Nation have
not brought permanent values not
otherwise obtainable? Who shall claim
that these two great works administra-
tons have not given q new impetus to
the civic standards Of the people?
Shall We measure these values
against . budget temporarily unbal-
anced?
But the theme song Of our antag-
onists is the destruction Of the Ma
tons credit and the wrapping Of every
newborn child in the swaddling clothes
Of debt.
When we entered the World War in
1917 our public debt was $4,000, 900, ,00o
When we emerged from 1t in 1918
the public debt was $26, 600, 900, 900.
BY 1929 it had been reduced under
sinking fund requirements passed by
the Wilson administration to $17,-
0oo, o,ooo, 900.
From March, 1929, to March 4, 1898,
that debt was increased to $2l, ,000,-
100000 without the Inauguration Of
either relief or public works program
of any consequence whatever.
Hence, during the four long years OF
the Hoover administration the pubic
debt had been increased by $4,000
100000
Debt Up $10,Se0. .o0e, 200
Since February 20, 1888.
From February 2s, 1888. to the pres
ent time the public debt has increased
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