The Recall

There is another popular reform-the Recall. It has to do with representatives. It is a device whereby a mayor, a judge, a governor, or any other elected officer may be forced out of his position because he has displeased the majority of those voting.

If a number of citizens, say, twentyfive or fifty per cent-the percentage varies according to the states-sign a petition demanding the recall of an official who they feel has not been carrying out his pledges, the official in question must stand for another election. He must go before the people, defend his policies, and ask for a vote of confidence. If the vote goes against him he is removed from office and another person is elected to fill his place. In other words, the recall is a way for dissatisfied voters to express their disapproval of their official representatives without waiting for the regular election date to come around.

Much can be said both for and against the recall. There are officials who do wrong, who become grafters, who are not fit for office, who get mixed up with vice. Under such circumstances the well-intentioned voters may may use the recall to advantage.

On the other hand there are many officials who do right and are exactly fitted for office, who clean out grafters and remove the vicious, but who do not suit the prejudiced, mean groups of a community. Under such circumstances the use of the recall may, if the vicious succeed, prove very harmful.

A Narrow View

Some people fall into the habit of thinking that government is poor and

inefficient because they do not get what they want, or because the government does not do as they think it should. That is natural. They consider their opinions the will of the majority, and are, therefore, suspicious when legislation does not go their way. It is quite possible, however, that their opinions are held by only a small group, and that the representatives are actually preventing minority legislation from being passed when they refuse to carry out certain demands.

Those individuals who have traveled the country from the Pacific to the Atlantic know that opinions held in New York and Boston are not necessarily those held by the voters in the rest of the country on many important questions. Many people in the great immigration centers feel that the restriction of immigration, for example, is unwise, and that the almost unanimous action of Congress in 1921, in cutting down the numbers of people allowed to come into the United States, did not represent the feelings of the people. The action of Congress in this particular case may not meet the wishes of groups in New York or other cities, but it is very likely that when Congress. acts almost unanimously it knows what it is doing and is representing, faithfully, the sentiments of the country as a whole. If conditions and public sentiment change, Congress, no doubt, will express itself in new immigration legislation to meet the situation. Congress seldom passes legislation by an overwhelming vote without being right in its judgment of public opinion.

form of a tax for these essential services of government? Why, in other words, should we regard taxes as a worse burden than grocery bills?

What We Get From Our Government The pocketbook, especially when it is taxed, is a touchy spot. On account of the heavy burdens of taxes and living

is looked upon as a far-away organization, located in Washington, D. C., which is forever taking in taxes the daily bread of the average citizen. Yet, is not Mr. Fifteen Hundred's view, as expressed above, the only one that every citizen should have? Good and efficient government is almost as necessary to the individual as food, clothing and shelter. If we would but take the time to examine facts we should quickly discover how absolutely essential good government is to our everyday happiness and welfare; how our very life depends upon the manner in which government is carried on. Why, then, should we cry "Extortion!" and "Robbery!" when we receive a bill in the

expenses, most people today are criticising their government for spending too much money. The demand that taxes be reduced is general. All about us we hear the charge that the government is inefficient, wasteful and extravagant.

Such statements are apt to be thoughtless. Those who make them at times scarcely realize how, from the cradle to the grave, all of us are dependent upon government for assistance and protection. But few know that the individual becomes more and more dependent upon his government in proportion as life becomes more complex. If we consider a moment, our minds can recall many vitally important services rendered by government.

The traffic policeman, the soldier and sailor, the judge, the school-teacher, the postman, the lighthouse keeper, the visiting nurse, the health officer, are ever present reminders of the services

which our government renders in return for taxes. These government servants are all a part of our every-day life; they are all busy carrying on that important task of government which is to look after our common needs. These individuals protect us from danger, make industry possible, look after the health of the community and educate our children. None are overpaid; most of them receive very moderate salaries, yet all are doing their tasks in an orderly, quiet and efficient manner. The mail is delivered, children are educated, the streets are kept clean, traffic is regulated, and travel by sea is made less dangerous-all by government servants who save us much thought and inconvenience. Their salaries are paid by us in the form of Federal, state and local taxes.

Thoughtless Criticism

We must avoid making careless statements that lump all government services under the head of "wasteful, extravagant and inefficient." It is unwise to criticize taxation before first taking time to learn why the government spends money, and what proportion is spent for the various activities carried on by the government.

The thoughtless "knocking" of the government, indulged in by so many, may do much more harm than good. It may result at times in curtailing or even abolishing many excellent and vital activities, and may harm a great many individuals in the public service who have rendered long and faithful service. On the other hand intelligent, thoughtful and indepen

dent criticism of a helpful nature is absolutely necessary to keep a democracy efficient and responsive to public opinion.

Many of us look upon government solely as a force that restricts. Its main purpose just now, to some, seems centered upon keeping them from getting a drink. Such a viewpoint is very shortsighted. It is true that government as our agent does restrict us, but the restrictions are generally for our own and our neighbor's good, or for the good of society. However, the government also, as our agent, does vastly more than restrict. It protects us; it assists us in our work; it develops us into better men and women.

The Tasks of Government Let us take these tasks in order. First, we find that the foremost, and also the most expensive, is the protection given us by our government against aggression from outside the country, and aggression from dangerous individuals, such as criminals, from within.

War is a stern and disagreeable possibility. Few nations, if any, have ever been exempt from protecting themselves and their citizens at some time in their careers against the attack of some other nation. All government must, therefore, be forearmed. All nations have had to spend vast sums for defense. It will always be so until nations, acting through their governments, learn to live peaceably together, even while holding different opinions.

Danger From Within Equally as important to the citizen as the safeguarding of his