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

by the condition OF the Treasury. that
branch OF the government ought TO share
the burden Of meeting and remedyinS
the conditions.
This general financial aspect Induced
the Senate during the special session or
the Sixty-irst Congress 20 create COM
mttee called the Public Expenditures
Committee, consisting Of Senator Hale
acting chairman. and Senator's Aldrich,
Warren. Perkins. PenrOse. Dolliver. Clapp.
Nelson. Gamble, Crane. Carter, Bourne
Cummins. Burton. Root, McLaurin. New
lands. owen. Fletcher. and Hughes. The
first seven Members Of the committee are
the chairInen Of the seven committees I'm
the Senate 10 some one OF which every
bill providing for revenue or carrying an
appropriation IS submitted This is pro
vided q medium for better coordination
and cooperation between what may be
termed the revenue and appropriation
committees. The powers Of existing
committees are not affected. but an ave
nue. is provided for concentration and
distribution Of informsuon-a committee
forum for the discussion and recon-
mendatlon OF fundamentals affecting the
government, such as Standardization, CEN
traIization, simplifcation, elimination OF
duplCations-in short the application.
wherever possible, OF business principles
10 the conduct Of the government.
Committees Duties Defined.
The duties Of this committee are thus
prescribed in a resolution agreed 10 by
the Senate on May %. 1909:
Resolved. That tho committee on public e1pendi-
lures he. and they are hereby. authorized and
directed. b. Subcommittee or otherwise 10 make 10
restigatous TO the amount 81 the annual revenues
q the government and as 10 the expenditures and
business methods OF the several departments diFis-
ions and branches q the government. and 10 re-
port 20 the Senate from time % time the result
q gfch investigations and their recommendation
as n the relation between expenditures and revenues
and possible improvements iu government methods
and for this prTusc they authorized % SIT. By
6ubcummittees OF otherEise during the or
sessions n the Senate NJ such times and places As
they may deem advisable. % send for persons and
papers. % administer oaths. and 20 employ such
steDosraphic clercnl, expert and other assistance
as may he Necessary. and 20 have such printing
and binding done as may be necessary, the ex-
penss q such Investigations 10 b paid from the
contingent fund q the Senate.
The creation OF this committee and the
enactment Of the provision Of law referred
/ 70 above. throwing certain responsibilities
upon the President bid fair 70 be land
marks In regulating governmental finan-
/ cial operations.
Various committees or Congress have
! from time 20 time made governmental
4 Investigations but never before has either
J branch Of Congress created a permanent
committee with such important and ex-
! tensive duties as those with which this
new committee IS charged. Il Is true
/ that in 1874 there was created in the
| House OF Representatives "a Public Elk
/ penditures Committee. but after two years
/ its duties were divided among six other
] In
! creased 20 ten-one on the expenditures
! in each Of the nine departments Of the
! government and one on expenditures or
| public buildings. These various HOUSE
committees appear 10 be clothed witt
I ample power 10 supervise expenditures
hut as yet satisfactory and practical re
suits have not come from their creation
Reforms along this line must come from
some central committee with authority q
supervise the expenditures Of all depart
ments. and not from ten separate com
mittees each working independently o
every other. because out OF this verl
method OF many independent units in tn
government departments have largel.
come the difficulties and unsystemati
methods OF government business.
Keep Careful Estimates.
The English House Of Commons has
committee with duties fin part similar q
the duties OF the new Senate Commute
on Public Expenditures. that ie. the com
mittee on public accounts of the Hous
OF Commons. whose duty II is 20 foUoy
up all appropriations and make q careful
examination into any apparently irreEuia
expenditure In England I'm the last tw
months Of every year. the estimates 70
the army and navy and the civil servic
are presented by the departments con
Cerned separately TO the treasury. Their
they must be considered and approved
, II approved. the chancellor Of the ex
/. CheQuer then submits the same 10 IN
House Of Commons sitting as the com
mittee OF supply. II as such committe
the House OF Commons agrees" TO TN
estimates then the house sits az IN
committee OF ways and means and vote
the appropriations. There are IN Englan
also the auditor and comptroller VIII
performs similar duties 10 those OF tn
American auditor and comptroller. bu
IL Is apparent from the annual report
Of the committee on public accounts Of IN
House OF Commons that they find valuabl
, work 10 be done along the line OF inves
tgating expenditures. Their annual 70
port is voluminous and is filed wit
much information, and # would appea
that much OF the system Of this COmmitte
, could DC very well adopted by the Com
, mittee on Public Expenditure Of IN
! United States Senate. In France In
, cour des complies controls the finance
and examines accounts judicially. an
. makes reports 70 the chamber as to Il
, TegulaTities OF the law OF the bulge
France also has an audit system simila
I 10 other nations In Germany Tr1f- an
, several other European nations are court
, of accounts with general authority an
. control over public expenditures Thes