vne economy at large, i Department of Commerce figures

vne economy at large, i

Department of Commerce figures give the aggregate value of all*food expenditures , in It 48 as >52,9-billions. The total cosit of federal, state and local government last year eras 851.8-billions ■ Thus for every dollar spent on food in the nation in 1848 the cost of government was 88 cents. ■ In 1847 government cost the people 90 cents for every dollar of fpod expenditure. From 1848 ... on .back .through . 1840 the tala- v tionships were distorted for com- , paratve purposes by the cost of the war and, its accompanying enormous increase in federal expenditures. «.

Relationships approximating those of the last two years between the overall cost of government and aggregate food expenditures «e in marked contrast with those that prevailed in previous periods of peacetime prosperity. In 1929, for example, the aggregate value of all- food expenditures. in the nation was $19.7-billons. Federal, state, and local expenditures in that year added up to 110.2-billions. Thus for every dollar spent on food in the nation in 1929 the overall cost of government was only 52 cents, a ratio little more than half that of last year. • With respect tn otffer major items of personal expenditures, Department of Commerce figures show that th coverall cost of government in 1948 was the equivalent of—

More than three times the year’s expenditures on housing;

Over double the cost of household operation for the year, and that include^ everything in running a home; :»

jVfore than twice the amount spent on clothing, accessories and jewelry combined;

Three times hte cos of all transportation ^outlay including automobile purchases arid their operation.

Except for transportation, the, people spent^pore on each of the above classifications in 1929 than they did on government.