The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1937-11-04
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Network Of Spies
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Network of Spies
Washington-In this so-callet
modern civilization of ours when We
are supposed to keep pace with pro.
gress, every one of us is confronted
every day with some sort of govern
ment regulation or restriction. We
are told what to do and what not tc
to and good many politicians want
to increase the number of things we
are told to do.
Included in this modern civiliza-
ton is perfect network of spies
who bear official titles of one kind
or another, and probably the most
insiStent of these spies are the
agents of government who look aft
er taxes. All of which is necessary
because taxpayers undoubtedly will
dodge little if they can get away
with it. The federal government
has good many thousands of them
state governments have them and
county and city governments main
tain a veritable army of employees
whose job it is to check up on tax
payers. They do their job thoroughly.
Make no mistake about that. If the
taxpayer does not come through in
accordance with the orders of the
tax collectors, there is plenty of
punishment.
Which brings us to the point of
and the reason for this discussion.
It sets the stage for the question:
II the government, national, state
or local, is so punctilious about tax
collections, the gathering in Of peo-
pies money, why is it that govern
ment is not equally punctilious
about the way the money is spent?
This question is very much to the
forefront now. It is q question of
paramount Importance because of
proposal for governmental reorgan-
cation which President Roosevelt in
sists must be considered by the
forthcoming session of congress. The
federal government must be reor-
ganized. The reason for this reor-
ganization, according to the Presi-
dents argument, is that the present |
structure is inefficient, wasteful, and |
generally quite unwieldy.
It is to be granted, think that |
much Of the present federal govern
mental structure is inefficient,
wasteful and unwieldy. Throughout
the government one will find var
ious agencies charged with the same
responsibilities. doing things in OPP
posite directions. winding and bind J
Ing red tape around the citizens UNI
til some Of them scarcely can get q
hand free to mark their ballots.
The whole thing needs q thorough
going over but. as see the picture,
this going over should be done with
q view to making governmental ma
chinery workable and rebuildable
only where hastily conceived gov
ernmental agencies and functions
have demonstrated that they are
acting as deterrent rather than
an encouragement to the nation as
q whole.
Changes Proposed
have no quarrel with Mr.. Roose-
welt concerning the need for chang
ing some parts of the governmental
machine. have a very difinite OBJ
lection, however, to some of the
changes he promises. object stren-
uously, for example. to his move to
destroy the present setup for pro-
lection against improper spending
OF the taxpayers money. Specifi-
cally, can see no possible excuse
for Mr.. Roosevelt's demand that
the general accounting office be
made subservient again to the
whims of politicians by placing that
agency under the control of polit-
ical appointee, namely, the secretary
OF the treasury. That is exactly what
is proposed, and if the Presidents
governmental reorganization pro-
gram is accepted by congress in its
present form, the President of the
United States, whether Mr.. Roose-
welt or his successor, again will be
able to determine to a large meas
ure how the taxpayers money is
spent.
That may appear to be an exag-
gerated statement. One may ask
about the constitutional provision
which requires that all appropria-
lions shall be made by congress-.
This would seem to prevent execu-
tive Encouragement of the taxpay-
ers' money. Such, however, unfor-
tunately is not the case because we
have had proof under President
Roosevelt's administration what can
be done when one political party
mas such complete control of the
of government. Con-
yress appropriated billions. True.
But had there been no general &C. =
counting office in existence I doubt
anyone could have even guessed
What would have happened to those