Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-06
URGES ON CONGRESS
THE NECESSITY OF
STRICT ECONOMY

I earnestly recommend to the con-
gress the need of economy and to this
end of rigid scrutiny of appropria-
tions AS examples merely, / call your
attention to one or two specific mat
ters. All unnecessary offices should be
abolished. The commissioner of the
general land office recommends the
abolishment of the office of receiver of
public moneys for United States land
Offices. This will effect a saving of
about a quarter of a million dollars a
year. AS the business of the nation
grows it is inevitable that there should
be from time to time legitimate in
crease in the number of officials, and
this fact renders it all the more i'm
portant that when offices become un-
necessary they should be abolished. In
the public printing also a large saving
of public money can be made There
is a constantly growing tendency to
publish masses of unimportant infor-
nation. 1t is probably not unfair to
say that many tens of thousands OF
volumes are published at which no
human being ever looks and for which
there is no real demand whatever.
Plenty for Navy and Canal
Yet, in speaking of economy, 1 must
in no wise be understood as advocat-
ing the false economy which is in the
end the worst extravaganza. To cut
down on the navy, for instance, would
be 81 crime against the nation. To fail
to push forward all work on the Pan
anna canal would be as great folly.
In my message of December 2, 1902,
to the congress | said:
"Interest rates are a potent factor
in business activity, and in order tina,
these rates may be equalized to meet
the varying needs of the seasons and
of widely separated communities, and
to prevent the recurrence of financial
stringencies which injuriously affect
legitimate business, it is necessary that
there should be an element of elasticity
in our monetary system. Banks are
the natural servants of commerce, and
upon them should be placed, as far as
practicable. the burden of furnishing
and maintaining a circulation ade-
quate to supply the needs of our
diversified industries and of our domes-
tic and foreign commerce; and the
issue of this should be so regulated
that a sufficient supply should be al
ways available for the business inter-
ests of the country"
Elasticity of Currency
Every consideration of prudence de-
mands the addition OF the element of
elasticity to our currency system. The
| evil does not consist in an adequate
volume of money, but in the rigidity of
| this volume, which does not respond as
| it should to the varying needs of COM
munities and of seasons. Initiation must
| be avoided but some provision should
! be made that will insure a larger vol
ume of money during the fall and
| winter months than in the less active
| seasons of the year; so that the cur
| rency will contract against speculation,
/ n.,H fAtsf laa 10 nfI Anif Il
mate business. At present the treasury
department is at irregularly recurring
! intervals obliged, in the interest of the
business world-that is, in the interests
of the American public-to try to avert
! financial crises by providing remedy
which should be provided by congress
sional action.
Department Investigations
At various times have instituted in
vestigations into the Organization and
conduct of the business of the execu-
tive departments. While none of these
| inquiries have yet progressed far
enough to warrant final conclusions,
they have already confirmed and em-
phasized the general impression that
| the organization of the departments
is often faulty in principle and waste
full in results, while many of their busi-
ness methods are antiquated and in
efficient There is every reason why
our executive governmental machinery
should be at least as well planned,
economical and efficient as the best
machinery of the great business organ
izations. which at present is not the
case. To make 1t so is a task OF COM
plex detail and essentially executive
in it's nature; probably no legislative
body, no matter how wise and able,
could undertake II with reasonable
4 prospect of success. / recommend that
i the congress consider this subject with
a view to provide by legislation for the
transfer distribution, consolidation
and assignment of duties and executive
organizations or parts of organizations,
4 and for the changes in bushes meth
DDS. within or between the several
depaTtmentsl that vii best promote the