The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-03-28

ments were paying varying prices for
the same article. In other words.
business methods did not obtain in
the government activities and there
was no conservation Of the resources
Of the treasury department.
What Prssidsnt Taft Old.
A soon as President Taft took ONCE
this system ceased. At the outset
President Taft impressed upon his
cabinet omcials the absolute necessity
Of economy and efficiency in their de-
partments. He admonished them that
not dollar beyond what was neces.
sary to run the government ehiciently
In the departments. including a fair
margin for progress which 10 . part oe
efficiency in the program Of President
TAFT. should be asked Of congress. The
effect was immediate. Every depart
nent began work at once to invsst-
gate its own expenditures and to d.
wise ways and means Of curtaiiing sx.
travagance. The result WAS that con.
gress received the lowest estimates Il
had seen in years. This was followed
by . reduction in appropriations to
correspond. always allowing for the
natural growth Of the government's
activities. which represented . net
saving to the taxpayers of the coun.
try.
President Taft vas not, however,
satisfied that all had been done that
could be DONE. He realised that the
departments Of the government, like
individuals. are naturally prone to Be
proud Of their own achievements and
by reason Of their familiarity with
their swn endeavors. often insisted
that their work was more important
than the work Of the other depart
ments, relatively speaking. In order
to correct that evil he asked congress
to give him 100000 for 4 commission
Of disinterested experts to investigate
and report on the business Of the gov.
eminent with a view to further econ
omy and efficiency. Thus came into
ofncial being the commission of that
name.
This commission. among other du-
ties, vas directed to prepare the re-
ceipts and expenditures Of the gov.
eminent on a budget" basis, which 10
the system followed by practically all
the leading nations Of the world ex-
cept the United States. Under this
system 1t is possible for the humblest
citizen to analyxe the finances Of the
government at any time and to lay his
finger upon the responsible political
party In the event Of extravaganza OF
Of stinGiness. The system under
which appropriations for the govern.
ment Of the United States have been
made has even defied the experts ia
their endeavors to unravel the tangled
skeins Of expenditures. 30 that it il
fair statement to say that no citioel
Of this country up to the present tim>
has ever thoroughly understood where
his taxes were expended.
The economy and efficiency commits
sion has already saved to the tax
payers Of the country more than s.,
100000 annually by its suggestioni
and by the time it has completed itl
work 1t is believed ten times thi,
sum can be saved annually to the tax
payers. In the matter Of railroad fars
for government ofncials alone. 1t has
found that $12.OOU.0OO was expended
in a single year at the highest pre-
vailing railroad rates. At least Z
fourth Of this can be saved by the
application Of business methods such
as President Taft has applied and ha,
insisted shall be applied to all The do
partments Of the government.