The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-12
TWELVE MILLIoN DOLLARS RIDING


TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS RIDING
AROUND.
Last year tho travelling expenses OF
the officers and employees or tho Coy
eminent at Washington amounted to
3l2,000,oo0 This is an enormous sum.
and the President who has boon try
ing to discover some way Of reducing
the expenses OF the Cove rnnlent has
determined 10 make his initial test rs
TO how II eau he done II, this matter.
He has directed the Secretary of tho
Treasury TO place at the disposal Of
the economy commission authorized by
n congress ali travel vouchers for the
last fiscal year, SO that they eau he
fabulated and revised In order 10 as
certain whether or not there has bcen
a waste Of money In this direction. The
Investigation Will be watched with a
great deal OF interest We Should saw
at q venture that the Government
should not pay out more than the half
OF such an amount for necessary
travelling expenses, and that the re-
snaindcr is pure extra vagance or Grim
inal waste
Mr.. Charles o Norton the Presi
dents Secretary, who will leave his
service next month. delivered a VERY
striking address to the Union League
CUB OF Chicago on Washinstons Birth
GAY on the subject OF Econ omv and
Efficiency IN the Government Service"
IN which he pointed ont che NO great
causes Of waste and nciHciency IN tho
Government service-first lack Of ad-4
ministrativc control, and. second dis.
couraSement and Indifference OF Inc
rcrsonnel'' The President is The prin-
cinai business representative OF tic
people 81 the country, The expense OF
running their Government amounts
10 thousand million dollars an
nually The President has undcr him
In he management OF this vast cor
Germ a number Of assistants WHO 20
into office without any considerahIc
experiences, and Who hold once FOR one
hrief period. They must rclv UPON
other agents. and. When the .'es timatos',
arc prepared, Congress provides BY
$ilndry approximation bills for such
sums as may be required for lie con.
duct of the Government ms "estl-
insates'' upon which these appropria ton
hlils arc based do not 20 TO Congress"
as MI horton said Sin the form OF
BUDGET with the objects. Of Expenditure
classified in a. buaincSsIike way There
Is no statement such as would be IRE
.cnted 10 board hy the hend of !,
corporation nor arc the needs Of the
departments considered MS a Whole ~
There ens appropriation bills and ar
proIssszn bills ana yet moro appro-
priation hills--bills that all, acted t,non
BY tho general committee on nppropri,,-
lions and other BILLS that are acted
upon directly by seven other sep.,rato
end distinoA, committees or Congress
with this..re4ust, as AIR Norton toia
the Union League Club, "uiter lack of
control on the part Of Congress ana
indeed. kind Of competition between
the committees for Tie Acquisition 81
power represented BY large Appropria
tons, tnstead OF judicial constellation
OF the needs of the service as Il Whole y,
4 good deal more, however ,ban ti,..
' q e. 'to'' - N'ie Wofk Of the
several committees which manage ii,e
appropriations is necessary ,rhe Con
l''uS 'i"Ne eA'ct information
q rot only why the appropria tons arc.
~" III hs"ses noted ~
-. -. 1870 rs peeh arrived
o'' ~ "i'ich ne
'a'' M p2eh dohc
-o'''-,'''s or n.y. an" snch organ
a y liz ousiness q the Goyein-
~ a'"'ilist fa toFs them
.,os i. sat''e 4 information nation
j. LII, ,i,..a . : 49, iessfp 70 .wh'ei
80. ',''a r. ."pI!sed 'i
d.. ,a,,, s'''liS Me hVAt
Pr