The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1940-01-11
WHILE PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

WHILE PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
may go down in history as the spending pre-
sident we were interested in table of
spending of American presidents published
by the New York Sun recently which reveals
that IL executives have left the office with
deficits as Inauguration gifts to their success
sors. Among them are several of the presi-
dental immortals.
/ George Washington's administration
spent a modest $34,088,5O6 but that was
81 ,422,741 more than his congress provided
| in revenue and with some of the expense OF
the Revolutionary war hanging over the
small nation, he left office with public
debt of $50, 762.172.
/ Thomas Jefferson who present day DEM
| ocrats revere spent more than twice as much
in his eight years but receipts were rising
and exceeded expenditures by roughly Al
million.
The war of 1912 cost the colonies con-
siderable small change, by present day
standards, and made James Madison the
second president to leave deficit. The
amount was SAG, 162,894 which was quite an
item by colonial standards.
Gradually the public debt was pared
away until Andrew Jackson's secretary of
the treasurer turned over the books with the
amount reduced to $336,958, an all time low
for an administration end However receipts
during Martin Van Buren's four years at
the white house were S102,219579 while the
outgo was $122,325,262. ... :.-.
Harrison and Tyler spent S4,474, 148 more
than they took in while the Mexican war
during Folks term contributed to $52,337,-
562 deficit. Succeeding presidents reduced
the public debt until Buchanan left. office
S75,z17,12O in the red.
Deficits became billion dollar affairs I'M
der Abraham Lincoln. To finance the Civil
war, the country raised $763, 026,123 during
his four years compared with $197, 716,370
in the previous four but the cost of preserv-
ing the nation boosted the debt by $685.
354287. ~.
During the reconstruction period the
public debt was steadily reduced until it was
just under the billion dollar level as Benja-
min Harrison retired. In Clevelands second
term it mounted by $124, 1897 and it went
up $17,710,388 when Mckinley undertook
| the Spanish-American war, even though re-
ceipts were also greatly increased
Modern warfare was immeaslireablyS
more expensive than anything experienced
! in earlier times and our effort to make the
world safe for democracy plunged the nation
into debt far more seriously than ever be-
fore. Wilson administration receipts were
more than five times those of the Theodore
Roosevelt administration = $24 ,375, 7S1 ,68S
but were little more than half the
S46,9 1888 ,260, 143 which we spent and loaned
figure nearly double what all preceding ad-
ministrations had spent.
The public debt since has always ran
into II figures although it shrank in the pros
porous days of Harding and Coolidge-by
about seven billions. It is important to note
however that in that eight year period re-
ceipts were nearly eight billion above what
they were in Wilson's eight years.
Receipts fell and expenses mounted in
unfortunate Herbert Hoover's administra-
ton, a deficit of $4,037, 474, 143 putting the
national debt within easy range of the war
time high.
But all records have fallen under the
new deal-receipts, expenditures, the public
debt. In eight years Roosevelt has spent
58112 per cent of what all his predecessors
spent in 14412 years. Accepting budget esti-
mates for the eighth year the two-term fig
ures: receipts S40,089, 1851, 957; expenditures
| $65, 62S ,526, 692-an increase in the public
debt from $22,538,672,16 4 to $44,938, ST.
| 622.
THE NUMBER OF BUSINESS HITCH
mixers, chiselers, who ride ON the other fell
lows gas, who have no part in any civic act
witty, give no time to public works, unfor-,
tunately appears to be increasing. So also
| does the two-bit and penny ante type who
are almost as great curse as those who con-
tribute nothing but complaints
somebody doesn't do something.
Press.
Q . -
A FARM WIFE CAME TO TOWN
with eggs. "How much you paying@ she
asked Eight cents Dozen" was the an
swer. 'Put the case back in the car" COM
manded the woman, Its not enough. can
get more fun out of taking EN- back home
and throwing EN- at my husband. Maple
ton Enterprise.
A BULLETIN OF THE STATE HIGH
way department this week states that 1854
persons lost their drivers licenses. Even at
that rate it viii take long, long time for the
highway traffic and safety agencies to take