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Show Till-TRAGEDY OF 1918 We are advised by editors, civic leaders and by government gov-ernment spokesmen to work harder, produce more, waste less, curtail buying, economise and save. They also urge lliat all but essential and emergency building and capital expenditure be postponed. Necessary bousing can thus be provided and our world commitments fulfilled. Our high standard of living can be maintained and at the same time inflation can be checked. But we find our selves dogged by inflation and see ouiway of life jeopardized. Just what is the mailer? While the causes of inflation are varied and complex, one easily recognized culprit is "profligate public policies. It takes its place along with the practice of feather-bedding, limiting of output, strikes in vital industries and other conditions condi-tions which limit production aq.d cause price increases. ror example, the Presdent's budget of $40,000,000,000 is loaded down with some billions of dollars of excess baggage. bag-gage. According to Senator Byrd, federal civil payrolls are increasing at the 'rate of 50,000 per month. Then the new rivers, harbor and flood control bill is weighted with $200,-000,000 $200,-000,000 of old pork barrel waste. Then grants-in-aid, old and new, subventions and all kinds of federal gifts are now -scattered with. reckless abandon. aban-don. These are eagerly grasped by state and local jurisdictions jurisdic-tions as free and easy money. -like manna from heaven. The sum total of public expenditures results in the siphoning off of over $50,000,000,000 in taxes per year. Men, money and materials are diverted from production and private purposes to those consumptive by nature. Yes, prodigal public spending spend-ing and waste are important factors in causing inflation. One important check to inflation, due to prodigal public pub-lic spending, is to bring government back home. We must run our own affairs and stop running to Washington for handouts. Federal aid is costly aid. We must understand that such "gifts" are and must be paid for by us. If they come via Washington, wrapped in federal red tape, we re-ceive re-ceive but 80 of what we have paid for and then get controls con-trols clamped on us. Centralized government is dictatorial, costly and wasteful. When we vigorously and wisely bestir be-stir ourselves with all public spending and insist on economy and efficiency then we can get more for our money and have more money for us. |