The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-01
PRESIDENT NOT SATISFIED.

appears, made what they considered
Bottom > estimates as to the amount
required to conduct their official work
for the wear which begins the first day
of July next. But President Taft. on
gong over the estimates, found MANY
places whore cuts could be made TO ad
vantage. and of course the department
hands viii make those cuts correspond
ipClv.
Senator Aldrirh, head of he Finance
Committee of the United States Senate,
SAID last winter that on broad aud
modern business basis. 100000, 900 n
year could be saved in the Government
expenditures 1t would be glorious
thing for the country if President Taft
would set that mark to work TO-,
and hold tho department cxpe lures
down accordingly. 4 reduction of $780,
100000 would still leave the expendi-
/ lures of upward of 100000. 600 yearly
| by the Federal Government. We do
not wonder that Senator Aldrich made
! The estimate he did for surely $780,
100000 rs an immense sum. and the
OO-OOO,OOO above that might fairly he
cut off The swarms of employees in
Washington, the Implications of account
keeping III order to give employment
TO those swarms, the cStravagapces
IN general expenditures. would make
modern business mar accustomed To-
handling large operations, go crazy to
see them, There is not tbo least
doubt but Senator Aldrich was below
the mark rather than above il when
he said that 100000, 900 might be
saved with proper business oversight
and modern business methods. The diff
fculty is that the insistcnt cry of
the lame ducks TO be cared for, of the
party hangers to get public pap, Of
the tremendous array of politicians who
have earned something" and who
/" deserve something Of their party,
will be powerful enough to stop any
business-llke cut in the expenditures
of the Government. Nothing would be
more unpopular with the politicians
than such n cut as Senator AIdricb pro.
poses: but since Senator Aldrich is q
Republican of the most rigorous sort, it |
cannot he said that the suggestion
of this enormous cut came from the
enemy. 1t comes from the most friend. |
ly source possible, and il should receive
far more attention than it has received. |
Three hundred million dollars YEAR
Is an enormous sum to save, President |
Taft probably has no hope of saving
that much money, no matter how
insistent he may be upon cutting down
the estimates of the heads of the |
various departments. And surely the
proposed Sl4 100000 saving looks small
beside S300,000000. But in view Of
Senator Adrich IS statement, state
ment which can hardly he ignored. we
do not see how there is much oppor.
tunity to evade the force of the sugges-
uoD that enormous sums should be
saved.
There is ono thing that is sure, how.
ever. There will be no "pork barreIv
tins year In the way of gratuites in the
form of appropriations to clear out
little creeks in various parts Of the
country, nor to build public buildings
where such buildings would not paw.
The real rule with regard to river and
harbOr appropriations is that where
commerce demands it the Improvement
should be made skillfully, systemati-
caIly, and certainly until tho work
is finished. In the matter OF creeks
not Que cent should be spent for DO
Iitcal purposes. and no waterway
should receive appropriations until ex.
pert advice shows that the work is
feastblc and proper economically.
President Taft has been arraipned
recently for his opposition to the in.
land waterway project and to various
other projects for waterways. Doubt
less experience has made him wise in
this. and he fights shy of projects that
are only projects, and is cautious even
where the advantage would be great
where the chief aim appears 10 be 70
get an appropriation. In all this Presi-
dent Tart is 10 be commended as
faithful guardian of the people's
money and Of the public utilities. We
have been going at great pace for
some time past, so that tho National
expenditures row habituallv 90 over
3 billion dollars year If the public
service would not be damaged, but
'ather advanced, and helped by the cut
II s3OO,Ooo,O0O a year which Senator
Aidrlch urges. and he saws that the |
fleet would be good. and not evil. then q
he best possible service that President '
Taft aud those in authority could I
'ender To the people would be 10 bend :
heir most Jealous efforts to realizing d
IN the economy proposed by tho Sena- /
or from Rhode Island. and as he is q
,oing out of Office, perhaps the suppes. ;
ion be makes for the immense saving /
n public expenditures might be con 4
'dcred, as his last and greatest service a
o his country. s