Evening star., 1936-04-18
Money to Burn.

Spending billions of dollars has both
its advantages and its disadvantages.
The Roosevelt administration has reaped
advantage from its spending program
during the past three years. The ad-
vantage was particularly noticeable dur
Ing the 1884 congressional campaign. The
spenders doubtless hope to reap further
advantage in the coming national cam
paign. However, another side to the pic
ture is developing. 1t is not a pretty side.
It has to do with waste and graft and
politics, and also with the tax burden,
an ever-increasing burden. Decidedly
the spending of billions of dollars brings
its troubles.
Gradually the public is coming to know
that the Federal money-which is in the
final analysis taken from the pockets Of
all the people-haS been spent with con-
siderable recklessness; for projects of
little or no value in many instances, for
social experiments of questionable value
as they have turned out. When admin
tstration officials talked, as they did, Of
half billion dollars as chicken feed"
it was fair warning to the country. But
spending is popular. The dollars went
into many pockets. Many of them
actually did help the distressed and
destitute.
Many demands have been made for
an investigation of relief expenditures.
The only investigations so far under
taken, however, have been made by the
Federal relief administrators. For the
most part the public has been assured
that the expenditures were being made
honestly, for admirable purposes and
without politics controlling.
With a mounting demand for diff
ferent kind of investigation, made by less
partial investigators, there is more activ-
ity in the administration itself against
waste and reckless expenditures and
worse. Senator Rush D. Holt OF West
Virginia, Democrat, demanded investiga-
tion of the handling Of relief money and
relief jobs. His attack on the w. P. A.
in his State was scorching. Other Sena-
tors Republican and Democratic, took
up the matter. There was inserted in
the resolution for the appointment of
senatorial campaign investigating COM
mittee a clause calling for investigation
of the spending of public funds, if there
was evidence that they were being used
to influence votes. The committee has
been appointed. 1t has not yet gone to
work. 1t has, however, potentialities that
may be discouraging to the money
spenderS.
In the House there Is movement on
foot now to earnark for the Public
Works Administration $700, 100000 OF the
81, 500000,000 relief fund asked by the
President. The House members have
been aroused over the report that the
administration intended to turn over the
great bulk of these new funds to Harry
l.. Hopkins, Federal relief administra-
tor, who has reputation for spending
money more easily and quickly than any
of the other spenders. except, perhaps,
Rexford G. Tugwell, head Of the Re-
settlement Administration. These House
members feel that if these huge sums
are to be expended they would rather
entrust much Of them to Secretary
Ickes and his Public Works Administra-
ton, engaged in sounder work and less
"boondoggling.
The Congress so far has efectually
turned its back on two projects, originally
authorized by the President under the
$4,880,0 100000 relief act of last year
PasSamaquoddy and the Florida ship
canal. The President, apparently, has
come to the conclusion that he will not
20 forward with these projects without
more specific authorization from Con-
gress. The Passamaquoddy project-to
harness the tides of the coast Of Maine
to produce electric power-was to cost
ultimately about $4o.oOo00o and the
Florida ship canal far, far more. Neither
is needed. Both are examples OF terrible
waste of money. And yet about $12,000,-
600 has already been expended on these
projects. 1t is twelve million dollars
blown into the air. Twelve million dol
lars that the people will have to pay
when they get around to paying of the
public debt, which is soon to be $685.
00O, 1000 and gives every promise of
going higher.
When Congress gave the President,
In the vernacular, money to burn" it
might have been sure that some Of the
money would be burned. That has been
the history Of huge Government spend
ing in other countries as well as in this.