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Show GOING PRETTY STRONG. When Senator Aldrich of Rhode Island made the assertion that, if he had the direction of the expenditures of the government, he could save the people $300,000,000 a year, it was accepted as the conservative statement of an old and experienced statesman. If this be true, or even approximtaely true, it is evident that the only reason our government govern-ment lives is because the resources behind it are far in excess of its needs. It i3 evident, too, that there is a lack of efficiency in that government, even with the limitations placed upon its general powers, circumscribed as it is by the principle of local self-government. self-government. Yet with this evidence of inefficiency, demands are made for a broadening of those powers, of tho inauguration of new principles looking to centralization central-ization of the functions of government, and new, strange and fantastic things are proposed for that cential government to undertake. Instead of demanding de-manding an efficient, honest and business-like administration ad-ministration of the affairs of the general government, govern-ment, there is a growing demand for a broadening of, the scope of power exercised at Washington, which even now is so inefficient as to cost the nation na-tion $300,000,000. a year in wasted expenditures. One thing is certain:' If the agitation for centralization cen-tralization is successful, there must be inevitably a chance in the nature of our political institutions. When a man or an institution has more than can be handled economically, it would be foolish yes, worse than foolish to attempt to take on new duties. du-ties. Until the Washington government can make a better showing than a waste of $300,000,000 a yf;tr, it would be well to insist on a better administration admin-istration of its present affairs than to add to an already overburdened and inefficient institution. |