Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-24
PRES. TAFT SPEAKS ON
Governmental ECONOMY
CONTINUED from Page One.)

ed that We do not need any naval base
| in the Philippines at all. we ought to
| make Corrigedor island at the mouth
of Manila hay impregrable. establish
a naval supply station in Subig bay,
but rely upon the Sandwich islands as
our base This will all involve heavy
expenditure at Honolulu but for the
present the amount proposed IS COM
paratiyely small
I'm the naval expenditures we have
retained a provision for two battle
ships of the large 25,OO0-ton capacity
and we have done this on the ground
that until the Panama canal is COM
pleted we ought to go on and add to
our naval strength. The Panama ca
| nal will certainly be completed in 1915
and if we have two battleships a year
| until that time the opening of the canal
will so double the efficiency of our
navy for the protection of our Pacific
and Atlantic coasts that we can then
abate and reduce our expenditures in
new construction.
THE reductions in the treasury de-
partment were, 1 think. more of them
in the administration than in the ex-
penditures for improvements and this
was also the case in the postoffice de-
partment.
"Of the reduction in the interior de-
partment s5OOO,0OO of it was due to a
reduction of the amount of pensions to
be raid and we may reasonably hope
that as the years now go on this
amount will gradually be reduced.
ION the other hand there are certain
- D,,x,, &c RI wit q i
cultural department, with it's forestry
bureau. the war department insofar as
it is a constructive department for the
improvement of rivers, the department
of commerce and labor. including as it
ought. it seems N me, bureau of
health. which as the opportunities for
lettering the condition Of the people
by governmental investigation in
crease grow in Importance and in cost,
and, we ought not to expect reduc-
| ton either in the expenses growing
out Of a conservation of our resources.
For some time it has been said that
we have billion dollar Congresses. The
statement in itself is an unjust one, be-
cause it is generally construed to mean
| that the total expense of the departments
| to be paid out of taxation amounts to a
| billion dollars a year This is quite an
error, for the reason that in making up
| the billion dollars the expenses for the
postoffice departments. railways included,
| whereas the expenses of the postoffice de-
partment are not paid for out of the pro-
| ceeds of taxes. They are paid for out of
the receipts of that department from the
| sale of stamps, with the exception of ST.
100000 which was the excess of the cost
| Of the postofflce department last year
over it's receipts. This, therefore, reduces
the cost by taxation of the government
each year to something like s750,0OO.0O0.
1T is now proposed to appoint con-
| gressional commission to look into the
question of a general organization of the
! departments of the government with a
| view to reducing the expense of admins
tering of the government.
1T has been stated on the floor of the
Senate that 1t will be possibly by this
commission to reduce the cost Of admin
istrating the government 500 100000 a year
and that if a free hand was given to a
business man the reduction in the ex-
pense of administering might be doubled
or tripled. I am unable to confirm these
statements as to exact commission could
| make most material reduction in the
cost of administering the government.
I'VE will find opposition In Congress to
! every change recommended because there
| is no branch or bureau so humble that it
cannot secure its adherents and defenders
within the legislative halls. But if by
the totals that it shows this commission