The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1946-10-10
Rankin Spoke
Here Saturday

working for nothing was the some
what startling statement made by
William R. Barney Rankin while
speaking at a Republican rally held
in Libby Saturday, in Moose hall
Mr.. Rankin attacked at some
length what he termed the extrava-
CANT and wasteful spending of the
Democratic administration and based
his statements on figures he quoted
from an article in the October num-
Der of Redbook Magazine, which
article consisted of an interview
given by Senator Harry F. Byrd,
senator from Virginia and one of
the outstanding Democratic Sena-
tors in the u. S. senate. Mr.. Ran
kin's address consisted largely of
quotations from that interview
which appeared in the magazine
under the title, What We Can Do
to End Waste in Government"
Millions Wasted
Rankin stressed the many mil
lions of dollars that are being
wasted annually by an expanding
bureaucracy and, again quoting
Senator Byrd, said that today there
are about three million federal en-
ployees and Il would begin by dis
missing half of the civilian employ
ees on the Federal payrolls" said
Byrd. This could be done without
undue impairment in the services to
the public In 1885, there were 49,
440 federal employees; today there
are three million, including nearly
100000 in foreign countries. In
1885, there were approximately 100
Federal agencies; today there are
approximately 1150.
in 1885, the annual Federal pay
roll for civilian employees was ST.
36l, 100000; today the same payroll
amounts to nearly $4,000, 100000"
continued the Senator Byrd, in his
interview.
Quoting the Virginia senator fur
Their, Mr.. Rankin read: I'm 1885, we
collected $2,672, 100000 in taxes; in
1946, we will collect SAP, 1892, 100000.
In 1885, we paid about $3,000,-
100000 in subsidies; in 1916, we will
collect nearly IA billion dollars for
that purpose"
Senator Byrd pointed out, as
quoted by Mr. Rankin, how all this
tremendous spending of the present
administration must be raised by
the people of the nation and that
much of it comes out of the. pockets
and through the sweat of the labor
ing man.
Explains Nine Year Remark
And in that connection was where
Byrd made his statement that the
workingman of today would
work nine years for nothing to pay
present income and other taxes. Mr..
Rankin quoted the Virginia senator
further, as follows:
Carrying the figures further it
means that he (the workingman) {
works 312 hours each year without |
getting a cent in his pocket for it; y
IN his lifetime expectancy of Al {
years of work Government figures /
show AZ years as the average life
lime working expectancy, it means, {
1t the present rate of Government s
spending, that the average work !
in an industry in this coun- =
ry spends more than nine years I
If his working Misunderstanding to S
among other things, $780,
100 civilian employees not needed Y
IN Federal payrolls. y
There is something shocking in Il
tax program that compels wage
.arner to surrender the fruits of his I
abor six hours each week for every
week of his lifetime to support 2
vasteful government" said Senator e
BYRD, in the interview that was '
uoted by Rankin. c
Mr. Rankin argued that because
f the heavy tax burden lifting t.
f that burden should be made %
uSt as soon as the federal budget f
an be balanced, and that there 4
hould be an end to deficit spend "
lg in order to lessen the dangers
f initiation. il
Refers to Opponents Record n
Mr.. Rankin made reference to his a
pponent's record in congress, and G
1owed by a reference to the Off o
al record that Congressman Mans p
ED had voted for every bill calling v
II the expenditure of money asked p
II by the Democratic administra- f;
on. Rankin quoted Mansfield's "
citing record further wherein he e
iowed it to be quite erratic and
lid that was due to Mansfield's &
tempt to play politics with his a
ote in an attempt to satisfy GER 81
IN backing OF his. IL
During his remarks Mr.. Rankin
the Missouri Valley and d
olumbia Valley projects and stated r;
2 was strongly for them but they Il
lould be developed under army h
Id reclamation bureau engineers. fl
e was strongly opposed to estab- IL
Shing an authority" that would o.
rgely take away the independence
the people of the state con- Ii
rned. He said the proposed MVA D
as one of the finest examples of q
Sovietized project he had ever A
en-. L
When questioned about his stand
respect to the Hungry Horse n
I'M, Mr. Rankin said inasmuch as u
, is strongly in favor of the de- H.
,lopment of both the Columbia and d