Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-26
CAPITAL CHAT.
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at work, scanning the estimates and
the operations Of the army in general,
to ascertain where the pruning knife
could be applied. They will have some
information for him when he returns
and he will shortly be making up the
army estimates on the basis of $lO,-
OOO,O0O curtailment.
The most advanced work in the big
ciptailnent scheme has already been
done by Secretary of the Navy Meyer.
He Is a business man. accustomed to
handling large projects and has dis
tanced all his colleagues in the Cabi-
net in this effort at a more economi-
cal administration. Although new in
the Office of the secretary of the navy,
he had hardly become acquainted win
his official force before he set then
to work to find out where economy
could be practiced. Commandments Ct
navy yards. who have the expenditure
of enormous sums annually, have been
coming to Washington Of late for con.
sultation and conference. The govern
ment keeps Oh shore at the navy yards
almost as numerous an army of men
as 1t keeps on board ships and MAIN
tains at the navy yards plants that
cost for building and maintenance al
most as much as the warships cost in
construction and maintenance. The
commandments Of yards have been In
formed Of the situation and their aG-
vice followed but the cut has been 50
deep in this branch of navy expendi-
ture that there will need be but little
curtailment in the maneuvres of the
war fleets and the army of jackes
who are kept at sea. With Il navy
curtailment of 100000 the govern
ment can still build two Dreadnaughts
annually of the largest size, which is
as many as have ever been authorized
yet by Congress in any one year.
1t may be difficult to get much
money for other construction work. II
Congress endorses the new economy
estimates. Ambitious plans have been
laid for improving some OF the large:
yards and for the construction of the
most modern naval station in the
world at Pearl Harbor. Certain Of
these plans will be checked, although
1t Is doubtful whether. because of the
peculiar conditions in the Pacific
ocean, the Pearl Harbor station will
suffer.
Now that Secretary Meyer has accom-
plished his part of the economy task and
Secretary Dickinson has been directed
how deep he must cut other cabinet Off
GERS have to find how they can save the
government at least $3O,OOO.OOO There are
seven other departments over which the
pruning hook is suspended-state treas
ury. justice postoffice. interior. agricul-
ture and commerce and labor. 1t is
very serious question to determine where
$50 100000 can be saved in the admnistra
ton of these seven. which, in reality,
must be in four or five departments. The
state department. for example. has the
disbursements of comparatively small
sum of government money-chiefly the
salaries of the diplomatic and consular
bodies. which are fixed by law The cler-
ical and official forces of the state de-
partment are very small. No large cur
tailnients are practical in the treasury.
1t has a great number of employees. but
there have been fewer eXtravagances in
the treasury than in most of the other
departments. The treasury has to collect
customs dues and internal revenues keep
supervision over finances and exercise
Jurisdiction over score of matters of
magnitude. 1t attends to the very large
public building undertakings, which are
now costing the government many mil
lions of dollars annually. The erection
of public buildings will undoubtedly he
reduced to a minimum although the mon
eys already voted for those purposes will
be expended. Sufficient work has been
authorized by Congress to keep the treas
ury officials busy as they can be
planning and constructing public edfices
for ut least two years
Postmaster General Hitchcock has been
called upon to cut deep the postal esti-
mates There has been great eXtrava-
GaDce in that department. The mail ia
cllities have been enormously improved
but Congress has voted very great sums
annually for increasing the salaries of
employees and for extra fast mails and
the like. The civilian army In the postal
service numbers into hundreds of tlous-
ands and there are countless ways of
spending money on the service when
times are flush and the treasury is blg-
ing with a surplus. The postal service
however. is nearest to the people of any
of tho governments operations and great
care must be observed in cutting off the
supply of funds therefor. Congress is