The Washington herald., 1909-11-21
HOW TO SPEND
A BILLION


high-class men, and the great majority
.of government clerks are efficient. capable.
and honest But the government has
grown so rapidly that IL is questioned by
many whether or not the departments
have been able % keep up with modern
methods in the conduct Of their business.
This Will present 90 the eommlttee many
problems for solution, which will probably
result in various establishments OF gov
ernmental methods
Some Of the large appropriations for
the last tift5en years can be explained
by tho expense incident 20 the spanish
American war and the expense or carry
ing out the reform legislation under Pres
ideut Ro0sovelts administration. These
explanations. however. do not suffice for
many heavy appropriations. But. what
ever the cause OF this tremendous Increase
I'm expenditures. or however justidable Il
may be, there IS presented the question
Of a probable deficit IN the Treasury.
Whatever has been done. the money that
has been spent cannot be recovered. But
the time is al hand when the people Of
this country viii demand Of Congress that
economy be pracuced, and that the best
business methods be installed in all the
government departments The people
q
government run on a parsimonious policy.
nor are We a penny wise-and- pound
foolish public. but Americans are prob
ably the most prac ical people I'm the
world. and when their attention is prop
erly called 20 this subject. they will
demand economical management
There Is no incident or government that
comes home 10 people any stronger than
the subject Of taxation, and this whole
matter IS so closely related to taxation
that it Is OF great public concern. because
/ If reforms are not adopted along this line,
the citizens viii soon be paying direct
taxes 20 run the government.
After all. the most important consldera-
/ ton is not the amount OF money taken
/ in by an individual or the government
but the amount that Is spent and the
manner in which IT is spent. The gov
ernments money is the peoples money
and the governments business Is the
peoples business Certainly the people
are entitled TO know that their money IS
being expended according 10 the hest
I known business methods. and that not a
dollar is needlessly wasted IN this mat
ter. as well as In many others, the gov
eminent Of the United States sets an
example 10 its individual citizens In
| this matter OF improving the business
methods OF the government and limiting
lextravagant appropriations the general
public ought TO give strong support q
Congress. for this IS good administration
and for the benefit Of the whole people
Viewing Il from the standpoint Of party
policy. Il IS my judgment that good ad-
ministration is the best politics, and
IN fact no other kind OF politics should
receive the approval or Endorsement OF
any public official But this, as is the
case with many other reforms. passes out
of the class Of partisan politics and enters
the realm OF general national welfare
! The Committee on Public Expenditures
of the United States Senate establishes q
medium in the legislative branch of the
| government for unified collation. Of data
and dissemination OF information. II
| should also act as a further medium FOL
the better cooperation and coordination
| Of the legislative and administrative
\ branches Of the government. It's func
| tons do not necessarily infringe upon OF
minimize the powers Of any other com
mittees. and especially those committees
! 10 which appropriation bills are referred
| Il Is not a committee OF espionage, either
on other committees Of Congress or OF
the administrative branch Of the govern.
lmeut. but a committee of coordination
and cooperation.
! Therefore II can readily he seen that
probably the most important COMMITTEES
! that has been created I'm Congress in
many years is the new Senate Committee
on Public Expenditures.