Show I Released Rele sed by Western Newspaper Union CENTRAL GOVERNMENT GOVER IN TIlE TIIE UNITED STATES FOR SOME YEARS we Amer Amer- Americans leans have thought of government as that of our town our county or state Our Interests lay In the race for such offices as sheriff and board 1 of supervisors for mayor and coun- coun co dilmen for tor members of the state I legislature and governor We elect elect- elected elected elected ed congressmen and senators to rep rep- represent represent represent resent us in Washington at what seemed much like a side show of government in which we were not greatly interested Once each ench four tour years we got a thrill out of the con con- contest contest test for tor President but it H did not make much difference to any of us which candidate won von It was the local and state govern govern- governments governments ments not Washington that enacted and enforced the laws that affected I 0 us as individuals That it shOuld be thus was decided in that historic controversy between Jefferson Jeferson and Hamilton mUton during the two terms Washington served as the nations nation's first President Jefferson demanded the right of the people to local self government Hamilton would cen cen- centralize cenI centralize I government at the nations nation's capital So bitter blUer was the contest I it almost resulted In a small civil war before Jefferson was successful and the people had settled down to those self governing rights their champion had won for them That was for the first years only Today Washington is no long long- longer er a governmental side show sh w. w It has has become the big top with Ham- Ham policies dominating domina ting Our state county and town governments have h ve largely lar ely become useless append append- ages We are directed and regulated ed ed by the federal government Wash Wash- Washington Washington ington tells us what to do what to cat what to raise on our farms what we may buy and at what price how howe e we will heat our our homes how much wages w we may have and how ninny many ma hours we may work In a week for what we may use gasoline and hundreds of f other things that affect each of us as individuals While some of these arc a result of the wartime emergency many manyI I were in effect before Pearl Harbor and will continue when the war is over They represent a new con con- conception conception conception of government to which we have not become accustomed To get us back to those days of Jeffersonian local self government S to to get us away from the ian policies to re-establish re the place placa of the state the county and the town depends not upon whom we elect as governor of the state as sheriff of the county or mayor of the town but upon the men we Americans col col- collectively collectively col- col collectively send to Washington as con con- congressmen congressmen congressmen gressmen and senators s They are are- today the important cogs In our gov gov- governmental governmental machinery S SELFISHNESS AND THE WAR EFFORT THE WAR has not cured us us' us of what has become a dominant Amer Amer- American ican Ica trait selfishness We are each of us for an out all war effort on the part of the other fellow When incomes H comes to government h we- we we are opposed to all aU except those that benefit us as Individuals our group or our section Legislation that will benefit us regardless r of its effect on others or on the nation generally should be enacted by congress Each of us wishes washes to be the white-haired white favorite favorit child The merits of a con con- congressman congressman conS S gressman are arc Judged fudged by the amount of federal bacon he brings home to the people of his district State gov governors meet to determine the needs of the nation and each views with alarm all activities other than those favorable to his his' state It may have always been thus in some degree but never before to the extent of today The The- government including congress has listened to groups until these groups dominate us as a nation Such actions have fed and enlarged our o r American trait of selfishness until we weare weare are in danger of being consumed by It SIMPLIFY TAX REPORTS ONE WAY to make possible the collection of larger Income taxes is for congress the treasury depart depart- department department ment or whoever prepares what are called instructions for foE filling out in in- income income come tax reports to make zake them suf suf- sufficiently intelligible for the average overage mortal to understand The instructions instructions I received early In September about reporting probable income for 1943 19 were about as clear as mud I paid a tax expert to decipher them for me I would more cheerfully have paid the cost of that expert ad ad- advice advice advice vice as additional Income taxes Washington seems to think a simple understandable statement would not be in keeping with the dignity of gov- gov government government government and so makes the employ employ- employment ment of tax experts necessary THERE IS a small percentage of officers in the armed services with swivel chair jobs appointed from civilian life who are not a credit to the uniform they wear S WE HEAR MUCH of sovereignty but the average individual is most interested in a practical method of preserving world peace THE AMERICAN FARMER is do ing lag his best b t to produce food for tor the world despite restrictions imposed by by government fy z |