Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-23
What Is 81 Billion?

Us the budget?
j What's a billion? If a corpora
ltion had started in business with
isl billion in the year AID. and
lhad managed so badly that it
Host $1,000 a day, it still at this
moment would have enough left
Iof the original billion to continue
Operating and continue losing
$1,000 a day for another 1872
Years.
Budget item: The President es-
Inmates that in the IL months
beginning next July spending on
I"major national security" will
hit $43.3 billion-and a full $38
billion of this will go to the De-
Ifense Departments military
functions" alone. And all that
this will provide in those ~
months. says Mr.. Eisenhower. is
Ia wise and reasonable degree Of
protection for the Nation" It's
ia simple matter Of self-preser-
lvation."
| What's a billion? If you had
Isl billion in $40 bills and you de-
lcided to lay them end to end,
;Iyour $40 bills would stretch
Ialong the main automobile route
from New York to San Francisco
more than three times.
Budget item: The new 1858
budget estimates that the Treas
Jury will have to pay STA billion
during just ~ months for in
Iterest on the public debt. That's
the money the Government will
owe to individuals and institu-
tions owning the various secur-
titles issued by the Treasury It's
an all-time record; it's the Sec
lond biggest item in the budget;
it's way up even though the debt
lis down because the Treasury
has been squeezed by the tight
money" policy too and has been
borrowing money at rising in
Iterest rates. And it's a total that
cant be cut by Congress.
What's a billion? If you had
81 billion and you set out to count
it at the rate of 500 per minute.
eight hours per day. six days
per week, it would take you more
than Sc years to finish the job.
Budget item: The new budget
asks IS billion for veterans serv-
ices and benefits. The total is
up, says the President, largely
because of the rising number of
veterans and their survivors who
receive non-service connected
pensions.
| What's q billion? If julius
Caesar ga B.C.) were still living
land trying to spend 81 billion at
the rate Of $1,000. a day. he'd
have to live to the year 1887
to get rid of the kitty himself.
Budget item: Various farm
programs are to get another $5I
billion and, although spending
on price supports is expected to
be below 1856. spending on other
agricultural programs will more
than Offset the drop.
/ What's a billion? II you had
ISL billion in 500 bills and you
piled one on top Of the other,
you could make three stacks =
each more than double the
height Of the Washington Monu-
ment.
Budget item: The President Is
asking $3.5 billion for tabor and
welfare in the IL months be-
ginning July. It's to be spent for
promotion of education, public
health, public assistance, etc.
What's a billion? If you had
81 billion dollars in 81 bills and
your decision was to line a street
Of Washington. D. C. with them,
you could erect a wall Of dollar
bills almost IA feet high along
each side Of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. from the White House to
the Capitol.
Budget item: The President
wants Sis billion for general
government" The total is below
this years spending because of
"a reallocation Of costs"
What's billion? If you had
81 billion dollars. you could give
each of 94,340,000 women a
permanent wave at $1,000. or
you could give each of 15.773, 900
men a wool suit at $63.40 a suit,