U.S. At War: Look Who’s Hoarding!

The number of men now serving in the armed forces is about 25% more than in World War I. The number employed in war industry is about 10% greater. But the U.S. now has 2,571,500 men & women on the Federal Government payroll (up 280% from World War I) and 3,017,632 working for State and local governments (up 100% from World War I). Total bureaucracy: 5,589,132—or about a half-million more than now serve in the armed forces.

To Oklahoma’s able young Congressman Aimer Stillwell Mike Monroney, who dug up these statistics, their relation to the manpower shortage is obvious. Said he: “Each branch and bureau is reaching and building up its own overhead and staff without any measure of essentiality. … To a large extent, the Government is creating its own manpower problem.”