The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-25
PLANS
Be ECONOMICAL
WITH the FUNDS
Appointment of the Budget
Committee the First Step
Taken Toward ObeyinQ
Taft's Strict Orders.
FIND THE METHODS
OF THE PAST POOR

For Things Not Needed
While Many Necessities Not
Provided For.
Washington. d. c.. May 25.--Both In
the departments and In congress .
valiant effort in the direction OF econ
omy in government expenditures IL be-
ing made. President Taft started the
ball rolling by directing the depart
ment chiefs to make q personal cut In
their estimates for the coming year,
and this has been followed by steps Ia
ken In congress with the same end In
view.
1t always has been the habit for the
heads Of departments to make esti-
mates considerably In excess OF the
amounts they expected to receive In
the way of appropriations. and Il has
been equally the habit OF congress to
cut down thoses estimates. no matter
whether they were good. bad. or In
different
Now President Taft has directed the
department chiefs to cut out Of their
estimates enough money TO Wipe out
the deficit. II congress follows its
usual custom these estimates again
will be cut down when the appropria-
tions are made next year. and the re-
suit will be . comfortable balance on
the right side of the ledger with which
after the next fiscal year. II u .
great pity that congress already has
made the appropriations for the year
beginning o. July I. % that the spirit
OF economy cannot have effect for z
Considerable time to come.
Rsdsetsons ursss BY Asasseh--
In the senate today. Mr.. Aldrich. ~
chairman OF the COMMITTEES On finance
found time to introduce . oomprehen-
sive resolution. the chief purpose Of
which was to be the cutting down OF
appropriations. Some little time ago
the senate agreed upon . budget COM
mittee whose duty 1t was to be 70
make the appropriations for the Cow
ernment on the basis q the expected
revenue.
In previous years the custom has
been for each chairman Of an import
ant committee to secure every dollar
from the public treasury which the
senate could be induced to vote. There
was rivalry between the different COM
mittees and each endeav0red to have
large appropriations. The result was
that the committees which were first
heard in the senate Jared the best.
Some of the most important bills NJ
ways were delayed until toward the
end OF the session, the result being
that they were deprived OF the appro-
priations because OF the extravAGAnce
earlier
The intention now. for the first time
in a generation or two. 70 to have con-
certed action. not only between the
different committees but between the
government and departments - wen.
It is believed that In this way with
out crippling the operations OF tho
government in any important degree.
the expenditures can be cnt down and
of what the new tariff bill may do TO
the revenue.
Great Power Given Committee.
Under the resolution submitted 70
the senate today the budget commit
tee is directed to make exhaustive In
vestigations regarding the expendi-
lures of the government It II to b
given the authority to send for per-
sons and papers. administer 0afhs. and
employ any necessary help. It win sit
both during the sessions Of the senate
and during the recess. The scope 0f
the resolution was such that the COM
mittee will be authorized to call BE-
fore 1t all Of the department heads ana
bureau chiefs.
The purpose was not 20 much 70
cut down the appropriations for any
particular department - TO reduce
them all to . satisfactory scale The
difficulty in the past has been that
the secretary Of the treasury simply
forwarded to congress the estimates
made by himself and his colleagues.
In eac, department there were things
| good enough in their way. bat which
readily could b omitted.
Often there was rivalry between the
war and navy departments - %
which could or should spend the most
money. Frequently the appropsiatSons
were made for things which were not
absolutely necessary Or which wese at
the best only experimental. Addition
al clerks were Demanded for cegtain
work, whereas Il Was well known that
the same work could be aecoUlAed
| nv vorkfne fhe 0rfg6nal, force a sftflo