Destiny of Tax Money 127 



farmer made in the producing. If there have 

 been in-gathering agencies, so also should there 

 be distributing agencies back to the sources. 



It is a wrong philosophy that would apply 

 the proceeds of taxation only to the localities 

 in which they originate. The state is an organ- 

 ism, and cities, like the country, are only parts 

 thereof. Whatever may be said for or against 

 strong centralization of government, it has the 

 tremendous advantage of being able to expend 

 the revenues collected of all the people in the 

 interest of all the people. All along, the cities 

 seem to have carried the idea that the country 

 is answerable chiefly to them; but the city, also, 

 is equally obligated to aid its contributory coun- 

 try — to do its share in the furnishing of public 

 revenues wherewith to build country highways, 

 country churches, country schools, and other 

 rural institutions, and at the same time to 

 allow the country the controlling voice in the 

 disposition of these funds. 



Something of the same kind may come, as I 

 have already suggested (page 98), in the ap- 

 portioning of funds by Congress back to the 



