Less government
Today we hear a great deal about the need for less government. Whenever there is a downturn in the economy the Keynesian solution is for government to pump public money into stimulating industry, creating jobs, jobs, jobs.
When we get a long stretch of doldrums this pump-priming results in an unacceptable level of national debt.
We then blame government for inefficiency and pork-barreling. (If the money goes to someone else, that’s pork-barreling).
We demand government cut out the fat. (Fire all the high-priced civil servants and provide the same services).
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One alternative to too much government would be to adopt the ancient Roman system of censors.
Every five years the Romans elected two magistrates to act as as censors.
These two men then assessed the property of citizens and assigned individuals to proper tribes and classes.
They also revised the list of equestrians and senators.
They had the power to add new senators and drop others from the rolls.
They were in charge of public finances, farming out the taxes, selling or renting public lands and letting contracts for public works.
They were also guardians of public morals and might drop a person in class if adjudged guilty of cowardice, misuse of public funds or cruelty in private life.
If we had that system we could dispose of the national revenue department, public works, finance department and the Canadian Radio and Television Commission.
Even if we paid the two magistrates Wayne Gretzky wages it would be cheaper than the present system.
And, we would have another 100,000 people to help us carry picket signs and complain the two were not creating adequate employment and were putting the wrong people in the senate.
