All we need to do is count the height of each bar. The National Defense solid bar goes up 3 spaces; the Health and Welfare solid bar goes up 9 spaces. We want the ratio of defense to health and welfare, so the ratio is 3 to 9 or $1: 3$. Naturally, we get the same answer if we actually determine the values. Reading the 1987-1988 national defense bar, it's clear that the amount of spending for that year was about 6 billion dollars. Spending in health and welfare was a lot more, or reading its towering bar, about 18 billion. The ratio is 6 billion to 18 billion, which is the same as $1: 3$.