Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1944-07-27
LOOKING
AMAD
sY GEORGE S. BENSON
y RSsfaeSt5Hasalng college
Seazcg OArkaNSas
Prosperity

wealthy. A forgotten relative in an
other state died, leaving him de-
sirable plantation; broad, fertile
fields and well built barns. The
family hurried to move and take
possession but, after three years,
they returned to their former dig
gings as share-croppers. They COM
planned that times had been hard;
only one prosperous year. That was
the first year, when they mortgaged
the farm.
1t is not uncommon to hear people
say prosperous when they mean
flush, but the words are not akin;
the ideas are not alike. Squander-
ing borrowed money is not prosperi-
ty. 1t is the enemy of prosperity.
A thief in an underworld den buying
drinks for the house is flush, not
prosperous. On the other hand, a
thrifty farmer who builds a fertile
field out of an eroded hillside is
prosperous although he may have
no cash.
Furnishing the Innocent
There are many prosperous peo-
pie in America this year doing con-
structive things, helping to hasten
victory and safeguard a lasting
peace. Some are wisely freezing
their good incomes by investing in
war bonds-which amounts to buy
ing dollar bills at Use apiece for
future delivery. But others are only
flush, foolishly spending cash for
what they consider fun, purchasing
trinkets with little or no postwar
value.
Unwise citizens are not alone to
blame. Our government has set
them an unmistakable example.
Some government departments are
flush, spending recklessly and vast
ing money on things that are worse
than useless; downright harmful to
human freedom. The foolish spend
thrift who wastes his wages will suf-
fer for his O,Un prodigal deeds, but
it is the prosperous and thrifty in
America who will finally pay for the
blunders of public servants.
Spending Tax Money
By comparison with other coun-
tries, the United States is financially
strong but, as a nation, we are not
prospecting during the war. Wars,
by their very nature, are destruc-
tive and currently we are spending
money about twice as fast as our
taxpayers are supplying it. Sad to
say, it is not all being spent for
liberty and peace. Like the newly
rich sharecropper, we Through APP
pointed agents. have mortgaged our
home and are squandering the
money.
The executive department Of the
federal government has a monthly
payroll of $50 million dollars. This
sustains three million employees;
more than three times as many as
were feeding off that department at
the end of World War I.
Baubles, of no account to the war
effort, offering small hope of ever
beneftting more than a few Ameri-
cans after the war, include two oil
pipelines on foreign soil; one 1875
million dollar experiment in north
ern Canada and venture in Ara
bia that's even more costly.
We Are Still Free
Ever since mortal man started re-
cording useful lessons Of experience
to benefit posterity, the accumulated
wisdom of the ages has warned
against wastefulness. Siphoning off
the wealth of America into remote
places can serve only to weaken
America, for war and for peace
time progress. People who do it ig-
norantly are unfit for positions of
public trust, and those who do it
knowingly are far more dangerous.
Swiftly our national debt of ITS
billion dollars approaches what used
to be considered the value of the
nations real estate. None Of us can
prosper in bankrupt country; taxes
would never permit it. All patriotic
citizens have grave, mutual prob
lem and look to Congress for its So
luton: This nation must now con-
serve its financial strength in order
to prevent insolvency at the close
of the war.