In pioneer American days, when a new family arrived in town the established settlers all pitched in on an agreed day and joined in rolling down logs for the newcomer’s home. Then, on the principle of “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yourn,” logrolling took its present meaning. At least, that’s what the Dictionary of Word Origins gives as the derivation of the term, and what suits them suits us.
The practice of logrolling, a la Washington, has been a major enterprise for many years. During the past sixteen years, it has grown to the point where there are now over two million civilians on federal payrolls.
Logrolling is one of the government extravagances hit by the Hoover Commission report. According to a Washington political observer, however, only a small percentage of the innumerable recommendations made by the Commission will be accepted by Congress. Most certainly, those having to do with logrolling will not be accepted, because they cut too deeply into the prerogative which-members of Congress hold with respect to job appointments and recommendations. Naturally, the more people the politicians can keep on government payrolls, the more solidly entrenched they become.
We appreciate the fact that there is nothing new about this situation. And it is a well-known fact that these conditions will not improve unless sufficient pressure is brought to bear on Congress by heretofore complacent citizens.
Recently one of our readers tossed a “What-are-you-going-to-do-about-it?” in our lap. One thing’s for sure, and that is we are going to continue to publish all of the significant information we can put our hands on. Along these lines we are following through on a suggestion made by the president of an eastern paper company. This man recommended that we institute a campaign whereby all businessmen would add a line at the bottom of each letter they write asking one of the questions we published on this page in March.
On page 26 of this issue, you will find the kick-off article in this campaign. It is our intention to carry on with facts, figures and suggestions until our readers and correspondents take the ball away from us and institute a barrage of letters to their Congressmen insisting that the recommendations of the Hoover Commission be adopted.
Unless something is done about logrolling one of these days this Country will awaken to the fact that there ain’t no logs to roll.
