New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-08
"PENNY-WTSE" CENSURE.

THE Worlds" criticism of President
| Taft as penny -wise" economist. Be
cause Mr. Taft is making extensive
plans for retrenchment in the depart
| ments. saving hundred thousand dol
lars here and hundred thousand dol
lars there. our neighbor sneers at him
| for counting the dimes and the dollars.
instead of dealing in the millions and
! hundreds of millions. 1t says with
something like contempt:
| For the next few months ali the ener-
gies of the administration. under Mr..
! Taft's personal supervision, are to be
devoted to studying small economies,
| how to save money on typewriter RIB
bons. stamping machines and other
| Office appliances.
Such slur is unfair and undeserved.
No other President in our time has done
as much as Mr. Taft has TO reform
budget making methods and to enforce
economy in governmental expenditure,
Nor are the savings which he has eff
fected as petty as The World seems
10 think they are. In 1909 10 the Post
office Departments deficit was reduced
by about S11 100000 by careful manage
ment The expenditures of the Treas
ury Department will be cut at least
s. 100000 by the reorganization on
which Secretary MacNeagh is now en-
gagged When the retrenchment policy
is carried into effect in all the depart
ments the annual saving will probably
run as high as S25.O00.0O0 or 10000 900
annually That is a good sized sum to
be put 10 the credit of petty eccn-
omiSt."
The World also tries TO show that
Congress failed to reduce appropria-
tions at the last session. thus thwart-
ing and f1outing Mr.. Tafts programme
of retrenchment. 1t follows the dsin-
genuous method of Mr. Livingston. of
Georgia and counts future authorize
tons as appropriations in order to
figure UP a total of expenditure at the
last session of 81 .O9S. S41. "A. That total,
it says. breaks all records But our
neighbor ignores the fact that authori-
cations are not properly chargeable as
expenditure until the money to make
them effective is actually voted by Con
gress. The appropriation acts of 1909
~ iitlIiS VI
thorized years ago A battleship, for
Instance is ordered and is paid for
piecemeal. through a series of years.
while it is under construction. 1t would
involve a confusing duplication Of ac
counts to charge the entire cost of the
two DreadnoughtS authorized last win
Ter to the year 1909-10. and then to
charge the same cost in instalments to
the years 1901. 1911-12 ST 1928.
as the money is paid out to complete
and equip the battleships
The only fair comparison of one year
with another is that of money actually
appropriated. At the last session Of the
Goth Congress the total of appropria-
tons was S1044 100000 But the cen
sus act of that session was vetoed by
President Roosevelt and new one had
to be passed at the extraordinary ses-
sion of the 61st Congress. It carried
S11.OO0NG0. chargeable against the year
1qOa-1O. The total for 1909-'10 was,
therefore increased TO S1.055.0 100000.
The appropriations made at the second
session of the 61st Congress for 19f0-'11
were 81. OF, 901.0OO. There was an act
nal reduction of S2S.O00.0O0. as The
Tribune has repeatedly shown, and only
a bookkeeping distortion can make it
appear that an important step toward
retrenchment in national expenditure
has not been taken in response TO Presi-
dent Taft's urgent recommends tons.
The most gratifying feature of the
work of the last session was the reduc-
ton of about S20OOOOO0 made in mill
tary and pension charges. reduction
which will probably become permanent
There was an apparent increase of S20,-
600. 900 on one count because Congress
advanced that sum as a loan to com
plete reclamation projects. The money
is to be returned to the Treasury later.
There was another nominal increase of
S9.214OO0 in the postal appropriation
act. which will entail no corresponding
charge on the Treasury. A river and
harbo. act was passed at the last ses-
sion None Will be passed at the next
session so that the appropriations for
1911-12 will probably fall considerably
short Of those for 1901. The Presi-
dents retrenchment plans promise am
ple results. 1t is shortsighted as well
as ungenerous to deny him credit as an
earnest and successful economist