The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-02-11
Capital

BY CONGRESSMAN
WILLIAM M. COLMER
HIGH COST OF
GOVERNMENT

GOVERNMENT
While the Fair Dealers are
planning new and larger social
legislation which will cost many
new tax dollars, there are some
members of the Congress, from
both the Democratic and Re-
publican ranks, who are sober
ly asking the question of how
far the Congress can go in pro-
viding the funds to carry out
this program, which is to be
added to the already existing
fixed obligations of the Gov
eminent, and they are, also,
asking the question which many
another American citizen him
self may be asking - that is:
How much additional Federal
taxes will the people be called
upon to pay and how much
more can they pay?"
The Congress is considering
the question now of fixing its
own budget figures, as provided
under the recent Congressional
Reorganization Bill. High-rank-
ing members of the Appropria-
tions Committee, both Demo-
Gratis and Republicans, went be-
fore the Rules Committee last
week, seeking a rule for de-
ferring the date line from Feb
ruary 18th to May 18th, in or
der to give them time to work
it out. These gentlemen frankly
admitted that they had no idea
how much more money would
be demanded and appropriated
above and beyond the forty
two billion dollars asked for by
President Truman. We had the
temerity to suggest that the
only solution we saw for the
problem was for the passage of
a Federal Constitutional amend
ment which would be ratified
by the Legislatures of the sew
eral States of the Union, fixing
a limit beyond which Congress
could not appropriate funds ex-
cept in the event of a great
national emergency, such as
war.
OF course, it must be borne
in mind that past wars and
preparations for possible future
wars r the greatest drain on
our Treasury. For instance the
budget for the next fiscal year
runs as follows:
For National
Defense ............. 14.3 billion
For Past Wars:
Foreign Aid 81 billion
Veterans Aid SIS billion
Interest on
National Debt SIS billion
Totalling @.e...... TT billiol
Jumping these two items to-.
gether - that is, National De-
Tense, 1913 billion dollars, and
Past Wars, III billion dollars,
gives a total of thirty-two bill
lion dollars growing out of the
cost of past wars and appropri-
ations for National Defense.
That leaves approximately
ten billion dollars which the
Government will spend for va
rious Governmental activities,
such as Public Works, Farm
Aid, Social Security, etc.
1t is generally conceded now
that the Administration will
ask for an additional several
billion dollars before this SEES
sion of the Congress is over
for projects involving the So
called Socialized Medicine Pro-
gram, gigantic Public Works
projects, such as the st. Law
renee Waterway, the Coulee
Dam and others, not to mention
many additional millions for
the ever-increasing cost of adj
ministration of Government.
OF one thing we may be sure,
and that is, if it is necessary to
add additional Federal taxes
now, at a time when the coun-
try is enjoying the greatest
peace time prosperity in its his
tory, reaping more tax dollars
by far than it has ever collected
in any other like period, then
We may be sure that if anything
like a recession or depression
sets in, the Government will
find it necessary to borrow
money on a large scale to OPP
crate.
OF another thing we may be
sure printing press money
is not the answer. There is a
bottom to the Governments
meal barrel, just as truly as
there is to the same kind of q
barrel of the Individual.