The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-17

ness to be financed IL should be in
the nature OF a prospectus both OF
revenues and expenditures. II 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
nuaI budget program Is discussed with
special reference to the revenue 20 be
raised. the thought being that the rails
ing of revenue bears more direct rola-
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 IL mas been
assumed generally that tho 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
tons. what the government does with
nearly $1,000. 100000 each year 10 Of az
much concern to the average citizen as
is the manner of obtaining this amount
OF money for public use. In the pres
emit inquiry special attention has been
given to the expenditure side.
We want economy and efficiency. we
want saving and saving for a purpose.
We want to save money TO enable the
government to go into some of TIE
beneficial projects which We are do
barred from taking up now because
we cannot increase our expenditures.
Projects affecting the public health,
new public works and other benGncfal
activities OF government can bo fur
thered If we are able to get dollar Of
value for every dollar OF the govern
ment's money which we expsnd
Continuance of the commIasion.
ask the continuance OF this com
mission on economy and efficiency be-
cause of the excellent beginning which
has been made toward the reorKaniza-
ton of the machinery OF this govern
ment on business principles. I ask 20
because its work is entirely nonpar-
tisan in character and ought to apply
to every citizen who wishes TO give
effectiveness to popular government.
in which we feel a juse pride. This
work further commeDds 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 3. 1911.
when 1 asked for a continuation of
the original appropriation for the cur
rent year. only $4,000 had been spent.
1t is matter OF public record that
the three largest insurance. companies
in New York when under legislative
investigation spent more than $780,
600 for expert services to assist the
administration to put the business on
a modern basis. but the economies the
first year were more than tenfold the
cost. I am informed that New York,
Chicago. Boston, st. Louis. Cincinnati.
Milwaukee and other cities are prose-
cutting inquiries the cost OF which IN
largely disproportionate to~the cost In
Cured by the federal government.
Furthermore. these inquiries have the
vigorous support and direct co-opera-
ton of citizen agencies which alone
are spending not less than 100000
per annum.
sincerely hope that congress win
not in its anxiety to reduce expendi-
lures economic by cutting or an ap-
preparation 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 100000 of possible an
nual economies. Other subjects under
investigation indicate much larger re-
suits. These represent only a few OF
the many services which should be sub
Jected to like painstaking inquiry. II
this is done 1t is beyond question that
many millions Of savings may be real
lied. Over and above the economy and
increased efficiency which may be said
to result from the work Of the commits
sion as such is an Indirect result that
cannot we'll be measured. I refer 70
the influence which a vigorous. thor
oughgoing executive inquiry has on
each OF the administrative units.
In this relation It may be said that
the expenditure for the inquiry during
the present fiscal year is at the rate OF
S13O,0O0 The mass OF information