Evening star., 1937-01-12

terest on our public debt alone Is
nearly as great as the total cost OF
Government in 1916. Today we are
spending more than eight times the
amount we spent in 1916. This Is not
by any means all due to recovery and
relief. Eliminating recovery and re-
lief we are spending now six times as
much as we spent in 1915, and the
new budget starting next July gives
very little hope for q substantial re-
duction in public spending.
Increases In Field.
But to me the most astonishing re-
suit Of my investigation Is the increase
in Federal activities outside Of WASH
ington.
On March /, 1898, the Federal Gov
ernment leased 6,084 buildings or parts
Of buildings outside Of Washington.
In the period from March /, 1888, to
July !. 1886, the Government built
664 new buildings at cost of $685.
100000. Yet, on July /, 1896, not
withstanding the buildings constructed
we increased the leased buildings to
11,S42-twice as many. The figures
are available only until July /. 1896,
and today the number is greater.
The floor space of leased Govern
ment-owned buildings outside Of
Washington on July !. 1886, was 102.-
3l9,l99 square feet, as compared to
56,239,294 square feet of leased and
aforementioned buildings as Of
March l, 1888.
None Of these figures include MILL
tary establishment or veterans hos
pital space or public health buildings.
The magnitude of our expansion
outside Washington Is illustrated by
the fact that we lease or own office
space equivalent to 50 Empire State
buildings, or more than one Empire
State building for each State In the
Union; and I repeat, this does not
include the floor space of buildings
owned or leased in the city OF Wash
ington This surprised me because I
was under the impression, and perhaps
you were also, that the main increase
in governmental activities had oc-
Cured in Washington itself Yet it
appears that coincident with the ex-
pansion at Washington an equal or
greater expansion has been made out
side.e
Citizens Will Not Deny Need.
I challenge one and all to find
citizen who will deny the need for gov
ernmental simplification. Everywhere
this work has been hailed with the
emphatic assertion:
ut should be done"
But the assertion invariably has been
accompanied with the lamentation:
But 1t can't be done, because:
"Of the tremendous pressure Of
practical politics;
"Of the tremendous pressure of en-
trenched bureaus and departments;
"Of the lavish propaganda built up
to popularize the activities of the
agencies. both at Washington and vir-
tually every locality"
But I for one believe that public
sentiment will sooner or later demand
a reorganization not only to simplify
the Government, but to reduce sub
stantially its cost.
No greater service to the new poll
cies Of Government adopted by Con-
gress can now be rendered than to
promote a governmental reorganiza-
ton to administer these policies in
the most direct, simple and econom-
ical manner
AS the emergency passes do not
believe the country will long submit
to Federal expenditures to the extent
Of 10 per cent Of our present national
income, as is the case today. and to
this must be added local and State
taxation.
Justification perhaps existed for ex-
travagance in the creation of new bu-
reaus during the trial and stress OF
the emergency. but now with the pass
ing of the crisis this extravaganza
should and must be eliminated
What I am saying tonight is no
reflection on the many thousands of
men and women devoting their lives
to service in the Government.