Evening star., 1949-01-29
PiIing Up Of Spending
Bv Government Seen
By Richie in 1896
Lote Maryland Governor
ForetoId Treasury Raids
For Political Advantage
By Frank r. Kent

y
Back in 1896, when the so-called
New Deal had sufficiently developed
to make its purposes clear, the late
Gov. Rltchie expressed the con-
viction that something had been
started in this country which could
not be stopped. The current Tru-
man program with its supporting
forces, in and out Of Congress,
attest the truth of that statement.
What the Maryland Governor
meant was that once a national
administration, instead of standing
in the path of radical and unrea-
soning clements, organized and led
them, opening wide the Treasury
doors, lasting aside moderation
and restraint, buying political sup
port With the peoples money, then
the direction could not De reversed.
Once We gained impetus on the
"taX, tax. spend, spend, elect, elect"
track, we could not go back-we had
to 20 forward.
1t seems impossible for thoughtful
men to look at the present situation
without concluding that We are
headed for economic disaster. From
the White House has come a score
of recommendations for spending
more money for new experiments
and at the same time expanding
the old ones in size and cost. II
only part of these are approved,
the dangerous lopSidedness of the
whole Federal fiscal structure will
be greatly enhanced. fE
Senator Harry Byrd of Virginia,
who knows this situation better
than any one else, predicts a s10,-
00000G000 deficit for the year ie5O-
81. From the groups with which
the administration is politically
linked-particularlp the labor bosses
there is great pressure to go far
beyond the Presidents proposals in
the way of social security extension.
compulsory health insurance, wage
increases, food subsidies, etc.
Reckless Promises.
Let the administration indicate
a desire to proceed along these
lines tin accord with its reckless
campaign promises and it is al
most irresistibly urged to leap and
run, instead of walking and looking.
An example is in the suggestion,
inserted in the Presidents message,
1t is said on the advice of Leon
keyserling, one of his economic
advisers. that the Government ex-
anime the possibilities of increasing
steel production through the use OF
Government funds. Immediately a
bill sponsored by three left-wing
Democratic Senators is present ed
to appropriate ,O00,O00,0OO for
this purpose. Another example
the Presidents request for an in
crease in the minimum hourly wage
is followed by a Senate proposal
for a guaranteed minimum annual
wage.
So it goes all down the line, and
not the least significant thing is
that Republicans are pressing hard
for such proposals as well as the
Democrats. Obviously the Republi-
can theory is that they have been
regularly defeated because these
great voting groups have been
taken over by the Democrats; that
this is due to the favors with which
the Democrats have bought their
support; that the only way for the
Republicans to share in this sup
port is to pay as high or higher
price for it. Accordingly they in
sist that the Republicans must
make their party "virile" BY stand
ing for liberal, constructive and
progressive" policies. So far no
one has thought of any such which
does not appeal to one or more of
these voting groups and does not
increase the cost of government
and the cost of doing business.
From neither the Administrator
nor the modern" Republicans is
IIlClS GIldll DCl ul1LGOly
word ABOUT economy. 1t is interest
ing that neither any longer favors
taxing any one except the well-to-
do; that the old idea once accepted
by all as sound, that while the rich
should always carry the load, every
citizen, according to his means,
should pay something toward the
support of government in order that
the nation as a whole should be tax
conscious and economy minded, is
now in the discard.
Few Garry on Fight.
There are, of course, few in both
parties who still hold to these no.
tions and are not afraid either to
voice or fight for them. but they
have not been able to get far-cer-
tainly not far enough to reverse !he
direction-or even slow down the
spending forces. Denouncing these
men as reactionaries, small minded,
backward looking, penny pinchers,
concerned only with property
rights" disdainfui CT human
rights" not aware that anything
has happened in the world since
the Hoover Administration, ETC.,
etc, is the favorite-in fact. the
only-answer to their insistence
that unless some real effort to put
on the brakes and recover control
of Federal finances is made at this
session, it will be too late.
Clearly, If we DO not regain this
control, all we can do is wait for
the big bump which may or may
not bring us back to our senses
bu. certainly will be attended by
great oain for us all.
Such is the view of many men,
be-s of Congress and most Of the
better grade men In the Admins
tration, none of whom, however,
Is doing-or intends to do-any-
thing about it. The reasons are
clear-both parties have gone over
board for the spending policies
and the pressure groups in the
belief that only through them can
elections be won. Considering what
they can contribute in the way of
votes, there seems no political
-. re