Norwich bulletin., 1912-01-18

 ness to be financed. 1t should be in the nature of prospectus both of revenues and expenditures. It-should comprehend every relation of the gov ernment 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 rais- ing of revenue bears more direct rela- tion to welfare than does government 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 rev enue law was proposed.
 Citizens Interest In Expenditures.
 In political controversy 1t has been assumed generally that the individual citizen has little interest in what the government spends. In my opinion, this has been a serious mistake, one which is becoming more serious each year. Now that population has be- come more dense, that large cities have developed. that people are re- quired to live in congested centers, that the national resources frequently are the subject of private ownership and private control and that transportation and other public service facilities are held and operated by large corpora tions, what the government does with nearly S1,000,000,OO0 each year is of as much concern to the average citizen as is the manner of obtaining this amount of money for public use. In the pres ent inquiry special attention has been given to the expenditure side.
 We want economy and efficiency. We want saving and saving for purpose. We want to save money to enable the government to go into some of the beneficial projects which we are de- barred from taking up now because we cannot increase our expenditures. Projects affecting the public health, new public works and other beneficial activities of government can be fur thered If we are able to get a dollar of value for every dollar of the govern ments money which we expend.
 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 reorganiza- tion of the machinery of this govern ment on business principles. 1 ask it because it's work is entirely nompar- tisan in character and ought to apply to every citizen who wishes to give effectiveness to popular government, in which we feel a just pride. This work further commends itself for the reason that the cost of organization and work has been carefully consider ed at every point. Three months were taken in consideration of plans before the inquiry was begun; six months were then spent in preliminary investigations before the commission was organized. Before March 8, 1911, when 1 asked for a continuation of the original appropriation for the cur rent year, only S12,o0O had been spent.
 It is matter of public record that the three largest insurance companies in New York when under legislative Investigation spent more than S50O,- ] GOO for expert services to assist the administration to put the business on a modern basis, but the economies the first year were more than tenfoid the cost am informed that New York. Chicago. Boston, St Louis, Cincinnati, Milwaukee and other cities are prose- cutting inquiries the cost of which ls largely disproportionate to the cost in- cured by the federal government. Furthermore these inquiries have tho vigorous support and direct co-Opera- tlon of citizen agencies which alone are spending not less than $e0o o0O | per annum.
 l sincerely hope that congress will not in its anxiety to reduce expendI- lures ecOnomize by cutting of an aD- propriation which is likely to offer greater opportunity for real economy in the future than any other estimated for.
 As has been said, the changes which have already been made are resulting in economies greater than the cost of the inquiry. Reports in my hands, with recommendations, estimate ap- proximately s2,0OO.OOO of possible an- nual economies. Other subjects under investigation Indicate much larger re- suits. These represent only few of the many services which should be sub 3ected to like painstaking inquiry. If this Is done 1t is beyond question that many millions of savings may be real tzed. Over and above the economy and increased efficiency which may be said to result from the work of4the commis- sion as such is an indirect result that cannot well be measured. refer to the influence which a vigorous, thor oughgoing executive inquiry has on each of the administrative units.
 In this relation 1t may be Eafd that the expenditure for the inquiry during the present fiscal year1s at thelrata of $130,0Oo. The mass of informafion which must be collected, digested and summarized pertaining to each sub 5ect of inquiry is enormous From ths results obtained it is evident thae ev- cry dollar which is spent in the prose cution- of the inquiry. in the future wdIl result in manifold savings. Every, economy which has been or wili be e6- fected through ehanges'in organization