The Raymer enterprise., 1912-01-18

The procedure 70 not uniform In tAs
various departments; It 10 not uni.
form In many cases for the different
services In the same department. To
make uniform the requirements 10 far
q practicable will be in the interest
Of economy and efnciency 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 1t is consid:
cred that budgets and budget pro
cedures are the outsrowth Of Demo
cratic doctrines and have had an i'm.
portant part In the development Of
modern constitutional rights. The
American commonwealth has suffered.
much from irresponsibility on the part
Of its governing agencies. The const-
tutional purpose Of budget 10 to
make government responsive to pub.
lie opinion and responsible for its
acts.
The Budget 40 an Annual Program.
A budget should be the means for
getting before the legislative branch.
before the press. and before the Dso.
pie definite annual program Of bust
ness to be financed; It 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 10 discussed with
special reference to the revenue to bs
raised. the thought being that tho
raising Of revenue bears moro 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 revs
nue. law was proposed.
Publle.vvelfars Questions.
The principal government objects
in which the people Of the United
States are interested include:
The national defense; the proteo-
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 promo
ton Of transportation and communities
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 .
vital interest l believe that every
member Of congress. as an ofilcial rep.
resentAtive Of the people. each editor.
as non-oncial representative Of pub
lie opinion. each citizen. as q bene.
nciary Of the trust imposed on ON.
GERS Of the government. should bs
able readily to ascertain how much
has been spent for each Of these pur-
poses; how mach has been appropri.
ated for the current year; how much
the administration Is asking for each
OF these purposes for the next fiscal
year.
Furthermore, each person interest
ed should have laid before him .
clear, well-digested statement show.
ing In detail whether moneys approp-
Rated have been economically spent
and whether each division or once
has been etficiently run. This 10 the
information which should be available
each year In the form Of q budget and
In detail accounts and reports support
Ing the budget
Continuance Of the Commission.
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. I
ask It because its 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 Just pride.
The work further commends itself
for the reason that the cost Of or.
ganizaton and work has been careful.
ly considered at every point. Three
months were taken In consideration
Of plans before the inquiry was b.
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.
tiOn for the current war onlv a1e mn