The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-11-21

that the ordinary system Of governmental
audit and control is not sufficient In our
own government an auditor investigates
the accuracy and a comptroller the le-
gality Of appropriations, but heretofore no
administrative. representative, or legis-
lative committee has been specifically
empowered with general authority 10 con-
slider their relative propriety-
Huge Business Concern.
Many people seem to have the idea that
the government is some sort OF mystical
piece Of machinery endowed with many
powers little less than supernatural and
excepted from all laws Of profit and loss
that govern the common mortal But
the truth OF the matter IS that the gov
eminent IS a huge business concern.
This Is very apparent 10 those who have
spent some time IN Washington and have
seen the government through its officials,
. taking IN money for the sale Of public
lands. patent fees. copyright fees. head
tax. timber mineral and fishing rights.
custom-hOuse receipts, and from other
sources too numerous 10 mention. and
then Witnessed the expenditure OF this
money for clerks stenographers. type
writers accountants. telephone and tele-
graph service, statiOnary-ln fact. every
/ thing from a lead pencil 20 a battle ship
/ IN one sense the United States is tina
/ largest business corporation in the world
Viewing IL as such, and estimating Il 70
have a capital Of $40 0C0,o00 goo. which
I estimate as our national wealth. ninety
millions OF stockholders as the probabls
population, Congress as the board OF
directors the Presidents Cabinet as the
I Executive Committee with the difference
that the Cabinet members have no leCis-
lative vote. and the President as chair
/ man Of the Executive Committee. the de-
sideratum is seen 10 be the application
! OF the best known business principles TO
/ the conduct OF the government
When IL Is noted that the appropri-
ations for the fiscal year 1910 are over a
billion dollars. exceeding the estimated
revenues for that year by over two
/ hundred millions OF dollars. Il viii i'm
mediately be seen that the government
must either increase its income or reduce
/ its expenses. One Of the functions Of the
/ COmmitte on Public Expenditures should
/ be 10 ascertain whether all the estimated
l Expenditure are Immediately necessary for
! Ia proper maintenance Of the government.
and. IL not. what proportion Of the Same
could be postponed without initiating
against government efficiency. and espe-
] cially 10 investigate and ascertain where
Y improved business methods could he
adopted 10 secure increased efficiency in
the departments Of the government
"POrk Barrel in Evidence.
It IS true that Congress alone has the
power to make appropriations. but TIA
responsibility for the appropriations must
be partially borne by the administrative
branch OF the government as the est.
mates are made by the administrative
departments and submitted 90 Congress.
The departmental estimates form tho
skeletons on which Congressional appvo-
priations are made And probably two
evils eNist-the desire Of the departments
10 secure as large appropriations as pos
Sble and the desire Of the member %
] Congress TO secure for his district or State
as large a share OF the pork barrel as
possible.
That Congress has been ext-avaCant IN
, the past IS apparent when one considers
. that the House OF Representative has
almost four hundred members and thu
Senate uinetY-two, most Of whom seem -
be interested in getting appropriations for
their districts and States aside from tho
permanent government appropriations
Perhaps no one thing has caused mo-a
, criticism OF Congress IN the past than the
, pork barrel bills" Of which the rivers
and harbors bill and the public building
bin are notable examples. It VIII be seen
that much reform along this line can la
P accomplished by Congress itself These
), reforms viii be difficult to work out until
I members Of Congress and their ConStitu-
p ents take a broader national view of All
matters OF legislation. and are not willing
to sacrifice national good for their own
: local popularity and advantage.
2 The truth OF the matter is that until n
b short time ago the government had been
e so prosperous and there had been so
much money in the Treasury that ex-
. travagance was encouraged A feeling
p existed in the various departments that
- they should ask Congress for all the
"a money they could hope TO get and then
spend every cent they got More than
! this. the departments formally came 20
: Congress with great deficiency statements
/ and asked for additional money % pay
: expenses Of the previous year. This Gus
] tom became so general that they paid
little attention 10 the regular approp-i-
: atoms and expected Congress 10 make good
. the deficiencies. To stop this. Congress
! enacted n provision directing that no
DEFICIENCIES be created except under extra
ordinary circumstances arising out of un-
, forseen conditions involving the loss OF
p life or destruction Of property. The Gre
o ating Of a deficiency for the ordinary
= expenses Of the government was pro-
o hibited. This resulted i'm a saving Of
. millions OF dollars annually In my opin-
! ion. a stu further Improvement would 5e
! gained z Congress prohibited ali defcisn-
: cies. unless specifically authorized 10y the
President.
r should Take Broad View.
d In addition 20 the great good the Com
5 nittee on Public Expenditures can DO by
= arousing IN Congress more hearty CO.
: operation in limiting appropriations 10
the actual needs Of the government and
IN enacting legislation with a view 20
national rather than local interests, II
is probable that this committee can ac-
complish material results by stimulating
the departments. by legislation. or other
wise. TO adopt improved business meth
DDS There are at present nine depart
ments Of the government, each containing
many bureaus and these. together with
the Government Printing Office. Smith
sOuion Institution. the Library Of Con-
gress and the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. comprise each a separate unit
Of business. In many Instances each
bureau has It's own particular methods Of
purchasing supplies and tranSacung is
public business. Within the last three
years an investigation by the Keep COM
mission along this line showed that the
government was purchasing twenty-eieh;
different kinds Of Ink. two hundred and
seventy-eight different kinds OF pens,
eleven different kinds Of typewriter rib
bOns, and one hundred and thirty-twO
different grades Of pencils. Ore depart
ment was paying $40 per dozen quarts
for Ink, another was paying $50 Der
dozen quarts. This was fair example
of the lack OF standardization and system
in the government service, and when II
is recalled that each Congress IS appro-
priating over billion dollars which Is
spent in this irregular, haphazard, and