Show Bruc Hiack karts arts washington digest federal government so huge few can grasp 1 its t s ma magnitude multiplicity of bureaus and agencies demanding reports of all kinds places tremendous burden on business many agencies covering same lines A by WILLIAMs WILLIAM BRUCKART service national press bid washington D C washington many times in these columns collim ns I 1 have written expressions p pres ress I 1 ons of tear fear about the size ot of this thing we call the federal government ern ment it is so co huge that few persons grasp the magnitude ot of the machinery and it can not be explained satisfactorily certainly one can not say that it is lust just so big and measure it by extended arms on the other hand incidents or actions of a unit of the federal government may furnish an indication of the size on the basis of a comparison such an Inci incident dint came in the news recently and unfortunately very little attention was paid to it in daily newspapers of the nation here is the basis ot of comparison and it tells its own story as to the size of our national governmental M machine As of july 1 1938 the director of the cen census us estimated there were persons living within the continental united states during the year 1938 citizens and corporations within the united states were compelled by law or regulation or special orders to file with federal government agencies a total of reports information forms questionnaires statistical facts and other required statements that total Is the official calculation by chairman stuart A rice ot of the central statistical board who had made a survey of all federal agencies upon orders of president roosevelt the president wanted to know whether there was a real basis for the thousands of complaints and editorial criticisms about the tremendous burden that has been placed upon every kind of business including individuals by their government ern ment the rice conclusions however h however have demonstrated in an understanding way just what an octopus our national government has become and it may be indeed it Is likely that mr rice has performed a chore here which will mark the beginning of the end of federal government expansion his findings andings ought to have that effect effe c t in any event then began an expansion of the federal government shortly after the world war ended and the federal government got back to normal in the matter of size and the functions it was performing there was a time when the populace raised loud shouts because their government was spending a billion dollars a year there were some hard times along in 1919 and 1920 and a year or so more and ther eWas etwas the call of the suffering for help from their national government there were too numerous ideas being fomented and allowed to ferment each one contemplated something new in the way of government functions well each one contemplated some additional federal expense in this way there began an expansion of the federal government that has carried can led on with an ever accelerating pace until the new deal took over six years ago then we really went to town in expanding the number of arms and legs and eyes and ears ot of the federal government yes and with that expansion there came additional expense pe n se expense not in millions but in billions recently you know president roosevelt asked congress to appropriate more than for the government year beginning july 1 1939 that total Is not all there will be other and additional sums called for as each one ot of these agencies or many of them falls to live within its appropriation and goes back to congress to ask tor for more money the relief administration came in a few weeks ago and asked tor for more to run it until july I 1 when congress believed in may 1938 that it was voting enough funds to meet the needs of relief until the coming july but to get back bach to mr rices survey I 1 am not hot informed as to details or on whether the figures have been segregated to show how many of these reports are filed with each of the several agencies certain of the great offenders in the matter of demanding reports can be enumerated however to show the trend it is necessary obviously in some cases for an agency of the government to have all details of bimi nesses over which it has supervision yet I 1 can not help wondering whether it Is necessary to have such supervision in the first instance how many of these h agencies can vj ife e get along without hence Henc ethe the rice survey calls attention to something something much deeper than just the tha burden that government places on its citizens citizen s it suggests the question how many of these governmental agencies and their functions function sean can we do without how many can be abando abandoned ledwith ned With benefit both in the in matter atterol atte of sound government g ove i rement and in the elimination of 0 f useless expense to the taxpayers and the individuals or corporations required to meet government demands my gue guess si is that at least a third of our present government structure Is of no value that at least that portion co could uld be eliminated and everyone would be happier and that ifs is if a large chunk of these functions living be so so complicated and certainly not so costly it must be remembered that every time cost of government Is increased there is more than the outlay for government expense involved every time a government agency gets slimy fingers into business just then does there arise an added cost of living it is nj not hearsay with me when I 1 say that high pressure groups force additional government expenses upon the nation I 1 have watched their operation year after year I 1 have sat in the galleries of congress and observed the operation of lobby ests who have checked and rechecked their lists of members I 1 have seea seen their propaganda their threats ot of dire consequences atthe at the I 1 polls and I 1 have seen cowardly senators and representatives capitulate to the pressure A million or so or several hundred millions are voted a new federal agency is created and tarts starts spending money the personnel that gets on the payroll at the start begins immediately to look tor for ways to keep its jobs and the agency establishes a liaison with congress in order that congress can be wormed informed there are 20 or 30 boards and bureaus and commissions in the government today that were created for temporary purposes but which continue to convince members of congress that unless the agency Is continued thousands of persons will suffer maybe die too much burden placed on every kindol business surely mr rice has corroborated tle the contention that government is placing too much of a burden on every kind ot of business by demanding and obtaining oil all of these reports dally daily weekly monthly annually of my knowledge I 1 can point to a hundred small businesses that have had to hire extra accountants and other experts to do nothing but make out reports to the federal government and answer carlo morn from some bome squirt here in washington who tells them they have not filled in the proper items on line 87 etc it has happened to me personally more than once and all there is to my office is myself and my secretary I 1 imagine that farmers got a taste of this business of reporting to washington in connection with the agricultural adjusts adjustment nent program in wandering around the department of agriculture gri culture I 1 have seen hundreds of persons checking and rechecking farm contracts reports report of agents and inspectors county committees etc those farmers who did not encounter demands for statements about this that or the other still have something to which they can look forward because they will get such demands sooner or later like the government mabbins itself I 1 can not help puzzling as to what reports mean af course it can be said that it is one report for every man woman and child in the nation but it is not a true perspective there are of course many millions of persons who make no reports to the government in washington that means others must make many reports why so many different agencies doing same work from the standpoint of effective administration assuring assuming thit that many of the government activities are proper why Is it necessary tor for the go government to have 11 different agencies interested in housing why should the departments ot of cona commerce labor and agriculture as another example be asking the same business man to maki make reports to each one on the same subject why should there be a federal deposit insurance compain company compa iv a board of governors of the federal reserve system and a comptroller ot of the currency alk al concerned concern edwith ane one industry banking why should each of these agencies have examiners or r investigators doing very much the same thing making investigations investigation and examinations and reports to their respective agencies and I 1 forgot this one the securities and ex change commission also horns homs into bank management every now and atheni aside side from these types there theres I 1 the the ever present taxing authority now there must be taxes and they must be collected and it must be admitted that not all taxpayers a are re honest but hundreds of 0 tax anve investigators sti acors are going around aud around and nd undoubtedly they get their feit feet tangled up with other investigators investigator and exi examiners miners one wonders when the end is 0 western union |