The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1939-12-21
CAPITOL
@-NeZUC
CONGRESSMAN Knutsoa
Extravagant Expenditures
Not Necessary

INOU NCCCSD<1Iy
More and more are Americans
coming round to the view that the
extravagant expenditures proposed
by President Roosevelt for nation
al defense are out of line with the
world situation. True, there are
several wars in progress but the
nearest one is three thousand miles
away. It takes several years to
build battleship, and the big ones
cost anywhere from 90 to 12O mil
lion dollars each. BY the time the
Roosevelt preparedness program
could be completed all the wars now
being fought will have ended and
the participating countries will
have bled themselves white. No
other outcome is possible unless the
warning countries are wise enough
to come to an early agreement.
That being the situation Is would
seem that the expenditures for
national defense should be limited
to our actual needs fer the future.
Certainly, with a national debt, in
GLIDING obligated debts, that ap-
proximates the fifty billion mark
it would seem that the time has
arrived for Mr.. Roosevelt to get out
his pairing knife and strip expend-.
lures to the bone. We have found
out to our sorrow that we cannot
spend ourselves into prosperity.
AS for spending 21a billion for de-
Tense, we'll it is as unnecessary as
it is fatucus.
Relatives Fare Well
They are having little storm up
in New York state because or the
fact that two outsiders were
brought in and given choice posi-
tions in the office of the u. s.
Attorney for the southern district
of New York. It seems that Tho
mas(Tommy the Cork Corcoran
had considerable to do with having
John T. Cahill named District At,
tcrney SO Tommy the Cork" i'm
ported his brother into the state
and had him made an Assistant
District Attorney. Then they
brought in Raymond Ickes, son of
the Secretary of the Interior, from
Chicago and gave him q similar
position. Young Ickes graduated
in law last spring, while young Cor
coran received his training in A. A.
A, T. v. A., r. e. A. and S. E. c.
They are both said to be bright
young men. which probably &C
counts for their appointments.
A Long Way To Go
On several Of his appearances
before Congress. President Roose-
welt stated that it is his purpose to
restore the country to the 1925
level Of prosperity Coolidge was
then Presidency, which is quite a
compliment to the Republican
party.
In 1929 the national income,
which, after all Is the true yard
stick with which to measure pros
perity, was 80 billion 691 million
dollars. In 1895 it was 65 billion
226 million. In 1887 it had in
creased to II billion 1853 million
dollars. That was the year Mr..
Roosevelt told us that prices were
too high. The following year the
national income dropped to So
billion 933 million. The estimated
national income for 1889 is So bill
lion 500 million dollars.
In an appearance before Congress
about year ago the President told
us that his objective was a nation
al income of 80 billion dollars, as
] recall. OF course, If our income
could be brought up to that height,
and it has been done, it would
make our national debt a compare
lively simple problem. However, I
am afraid that we will not be- able
to reach the 1929 level of 80 billion
691 million until the Administrator
restores the American market to
the American farmer, workingman
and manufacturer. Neither can we
hope to attain that level of income
so long as the administration con-
tinues to badger industry, which
provides jobs, and until 1t steps the
practice of putting the government
in competition with almost every
form Of private activity.
This will probably be my last
letter in 1889. I take this OPP
portunity to extend to each of my
readers A Merry Christmas. May
January first mark the beginning
of a happy and prosperous New
Era for all.
Hoover To Head Relief
AT the request of the Finnish
government former President Herb
ert Hoover has consented to head
a nationwide organization for Fin
nish relief. MIR. Hoover has al
ready had a large part in the or
ganization Of a similar service for
Poland. No man is better qualified
by temperament and experience to
head such work. It will be re-
called that during and following
the World War Mr.. Hoover was in
charge of relief in Poland and Bel
gium, where he gained worldwide
fame for his executive ability and
great humanitarianism.
The organization to be set up by
Mr.. Hoover will collect money, food
and clothing to relieve the plight
of the Finnish women and children
who have been driven from their
homes by Russian bombings. AS Is
also the case with Poland, the need
of Finland is great and pressing.
Already the American Red Cross
has appropriated Is thousand dol
lars fer initial relief, ten thousand
dollars having been sent to pur-
chase medicines in London, which
have been sent by airplanes to the