River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-01-25

form in many cases for the different
services in the same department. To
make uniform the requirements so far
as practicable will be in the interest
of economy and efficiency and bring
about that simplicity that will secure
the largest opportunity for contract
ors to bid for government work, and
will secure for the government the
most favorable prices obtained by any
purchaser.
The Budget.
The United States is the only great
nation whose government is operated
without budget. This fact seems to
be more striking when it is consid-
cred that budgets and budget pro-
cedures are the outgrowth OF Demo-
cratic doctrines and have had an inn
portant part in the development of
modern constitutional rights The
American commonwealth has suffered
much from responsibility on the part
Of its governing agencies. The consti-
tutional purpose of budget is to
make government responsive to pub
lie opinion and responsible for it's
acts.
The Budget as an Annual Program.
A budget should be the means for
getting before the legislative branch.
before the press, and before the peo-
pie a definite annual program of bust
ness to be financed; it should be in
the nature of a prospectus both of
revenues and expenditures; it should
comprehend every relation of the gov
eminent to the people, whether with
reference to the raising of revenues
or the rendering of service.
In many foreign countries the an
nual budget program is discussed with
special reference to the revenue to be
raised, the thought being that the
raising of revenue bears more direct
relation to welfare than does govern
ment expenditure. Around questions
of source of revenue political parties
have been organized, and on such
questions voters in the United States
have taken sides since the first reve-
nue. law was proposed
PuhIic-WeIfare Questions.
The principal government objects
in which the people of the United
States are interested include:
The national defense; the protec-
ton of persons and property; the pro-
motion of friendly relations and the
protection of American interests
abroad; the regulation Of commerce
and industry; the promotion of agri-
culture, fisheries, forestry and min
ing; the promotion of manufacturing,
commerce, and banking; the prone
ton of transportation and communica-
ton; the postal service, including pos
tai savings and parcels post; the care
for and utilization of the public do
main; the promotion of education, art,
science and recreation; the promotion
of the public health; the care and
education of the Indians and other
wards of the nation.
These are public-welfare questions
in which l assume every citizen has a
vital interest. l believe that every
member of congress, as an official rep
resentative of the people, each editor,
as a non-official representative of pub
lie opinion, each citizen, as a bene-
ficiary of the trust imposed on Off
GERS of the government, should be
able readily to ascertain how much
has been spent for each of these pur-
poses; how much has been appropri-
ated for the current year; how much
the administl ation is asking for each
Of these purposes for the next fiscal
year
Furthermore, each person interest
ed should have laid before him a
clear, well-digested statement show
ing in detail whether moneys approp-
and whether each division or office
has been efficiently run. This is the
information which should be available
each year in the form of budget and
in detail accounts and reports support
ing the budget.
Continuance of the Commission.
I ask the continuance Of this com,
mission on economy and efficiency be-
cause Of the excellent beginning
which has been made toward the re-
organization of the machinery Of this
government on business principles. l
ask it because it's work is entirely
non-partisan in character and ought to
apply to every citizen who wishes to
give effectiveness to popular govern
ment. in which we feel a just pride.
The work further commends itself
for the reason that the cost or or
ganization and work has been careful
ly considered at every point Three
months were taken in consideration
of plans before the inquiry was be-
gun; six months were then spent in
preliminary Investigations before the
commission was organized; before
March 3, 1911, when / asked for con-
tinuation Of the original appropria'
ton for the current year, only $4,000
had been spent
The expenditure for the inquiry dur
ing the present fiscal year is at the
rate of $4,000. The mass of irfor-
nation which must be collected, d.
gested and summarized pertaining to
each subject of inquiry is enormous.
From the results obtained it is EVIL
dent that every dollar which Is spent
in the prosecution Of the inquiry in
the future will result in manifold saw
ings. Every economy which has been
or will be effected through changes in
organization or method will inure to
the benefit of the government and OF
the people in increasing measure
through the years which follow. It is
clearly the part Of wisdom to provide