Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-09

increase not only the civilian per.
sonnet of the Federal Government
but also will help to multiply tht
statutes which touch thu lives Of
the people. Here are some of them
Public power lines, in connection
with further rural electrif!cation.
More river valley development
after the Tennessee Valley Author
ity MODEL
Continued price supports fol-
farmers.
Expansion of social security.
FederaliZed medicine.
Federalized public education.
Federal aid for public tsubsidized)
housing.
The civil rights program, includ-
ing a Federal fair employment
system.
Extension of existing credit con-
trolls.
New controls on speculation ir
SUllullOulCy uldIh CGo.
Extension of export controls. =.
Continuation of the authority to
allocate transport facilities.
Authorization of ALLEGATION ano
priorities in key commodities.
Continuation of rent controls.
Standby pow er to impose price
ceilings on scarce commodities which
go into industry or affect the cos1
OF living.
Standby power to limit "unjusti-
fled" wage increases.
Will Need More Help
These standby powers. if anc
when they are USED, will require
many new employees and officers. Nc
estimate is made by the President
of the number of additional Federal
employees all these recommendations
would place on the Government pay.
roll.
The most recent report of the
Joint Committee on Reduction OF
Nonessential Federal Expenditures
dealing with Federal personnel and
pay, is revealing. 1t shows. that
civilian employment in the execu-
tive branch of the Government dur
ing November totaled 2,1O4 ,585-an
increase of 12,405 over October
November was the ninth of the II
calendar months of the year Cup to
and including NovembeD in which
increases In personnel were recorded.
Agencies reporting major increases
in November were the Post ONCE
Department with 9,764, the Military
Establishment with 1926 and the
Veterans Administration with 1908
Take look at the cost of this
ar,ny of Government employees
their pay only. For the first four
months Of the current fiscal year,
which began July /, 1913, the civil
ian Federal payroll totaled s2,117,-
$4,000. Multiply this by three and
You have an estimate of s6,353, $685.
900, for the entire year.
Senator BIRD of Virginia, chair
man of the Joint Committee on Re-
duction of Non Essential Federal
Expenditures, has for years. been a
voice bowling in the wilderness of
Government spending. 1t is pop
ular TO spend Government money.
1t ID popular to multiply Govern
ment jobs and it is politically wise,
judging from the returns at the
election polls. So popular that the
Republicans in Congress have be-
come impressed. There is a quiet
rumor going about today that the
minority party will take q leaf out
of the Truman book
The problem of Big Government
has several sides in addition to its
cost to the taxpayer. 1t impinges
upon the freedom of action Of the
citizens In many ways. The cry is
for security" today, security against
poverty, against unemployment,
against sickness and old age-all
serious ills, when and if they arise.
In this search for security, however,
there Is constant lessening of indi-
vidual initiative, and constant in
creased reliance on the Govern
ment. II may be that in SO large a
country, with an ever increasing
population, all of this may be wise
and necessary to put the brakes
on misfortune which might over
take people on large scale. But
even so, this galloping advance of
Government seems to have only one
ultimate goal -'statism, socialism,
call 1t what you will
Where to Draw the Line
The Government of the United
States is today a huge organization
the largest business in the world. 1t
accomplishes many beneficial things
for many people. The real question
however, is whether it is to con-
tinue expanding-where to draw the
line. President Truman in his
message to Congress suggested that
the Government be given authority
to build steel mills, if and when this
may become necessary to fill con-
sumption requirements. He didSnot
limit the proposed action to steel
merely mentioning it as an example
Those who believe in State social
ism, with the Governments hand in
every enterprise. see this country on
its way toward such a system. The
presidential program, for which the
White House claims the last election
gave peoples mandate, contains
many features of the platform
adopted by the Communist Party. 1t
undertakes to give aid to important
minority groups-special privileges
but special privileges handed out by
Government.
The lobbyists for special groups
have descended on Washington like