Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-03-20

Dack IN 1911.
This generation speaks as glibly of
billions as the World war crowd
talked of millions. It is estimated
that about II thousand million dol
lars will be required to run the gov
eminent during the current year and
that amount will be upped to 81
thousand million dollars next year.
The national debt is rapidly APP
preaching the IS thousand million
dollar limit fixed by Congress several
weeks ago and it won't be long be-
fore we will have a national debt of
IS thousand million dollars, which
some anonymous banker told the
President some years back we could
safely carry.
1 have seen many explanations as
to just how large a sum of one bill
lion dollars really is. The other day
friend brought in magazine ar
ticle from the publication investor
America" that presents the picture
in an understandable manner. The
article is incorporated herewith:
One Billion dollars.
Here's simple and homely il
lustration of what one billion dol
lars amounts to:
Suppose we take an imaginary
boy, aged Is years, and assign to
him the task of counting one billion
dollars in one-dollar bills.
eff he's unusually alert and tire
less, he might manage to count about
100 one-dollar bills minute. Cry
it and see.)
"We'd have to be sure our young
man was strong and persevering, for
we propose to work him eight hours
day and five days week until the
task of counting one billion dollars
is completed. After he finishes this
job you might think he would be able
to qualify for position in bank, or
at the U. S. Treasury, or even at some
of the race tracks where they handle
more money than you'd imagine.
Well, wait and see whether our
dollar-bill-counter would be apt to
get such job.
But to get back to the counting
work
Counts $4,000 Every Day.
eff he counts 100 one-dollar bills a
minute, he will reel off $4,000 an
hour. That's tough pace, but We'll
have to keep the young mans nose to
the grindstone, so to speak, or We'll
never get through.
Hes working eight hours a day,
remember. That will account for
$4,000 by the end of the first day.
''Now we're getting started. BY
the end of the first week, our young
man has counted $24O,0OO, and he
thinks he is making dent in the
pile of one billion one-dollar bills.
Poor boy!
working steadily, with no vaca-
ton, and only five days off for holi-
days, this youth finds that at the end
of the first year he has counted $12,-
100000
"When he reaches his 21st birthday,
his tally shows that he has counted
73,440,000. Six years of steady
work, and still a huge pile of one
dollar bills in front of him.
Forty Years, One-half Billion.
GAS the years roll by, the pile
gradually grows smaller, but by the
time both piles are equal in size
the counted pile and uncounted heap
of one-dollar bills-the man count
ing them has passed his 55th birth
day. Well, no use stopping now; he's
half through!
$50 he continues to count The years
pass in monotonous succession. He
never realized that counting one bill
lion dollars was going to occupy his
entire life. But there he is, an old
man. He'll see it through, however
If he lives long enough.
"At last the job is done. A be-
wiskered old man has completed his
life's work. He's past 96 years old
and he's just counted one billion one
dollar bills. He was Is years old
when he started. It's hard to realize,
isn't it,"
May 1 observe at this point that
it would require about 70 lifetimes
to count the money Mr.. Roosevelt
has spent since he became President
and we would use an additional 80
to count the money that will be spent
within the next two years.
Unemployment Registration.
Federal Security Administrator Nc
Mutt has announced the opening of an
intensive one-month drive to regis
ter the nations potential defense
workers at state employment offices
beginning March Is. Coincidental
with the announcement, OPM Coffee
of Production Management Associate
Director General Hillman addressed
an appeal to every unemployed
worker in the country" to register,
and OPM Director Knudsen issued
a statement that call employers are
urged to use public employment Of
fees for the recruitment of workers"
All unemployed men and women
who are able to work are being asked
to register so that defense officials