The citizen., 1912-04-04
PRESIDENT TAFT'S
ECONOMY RECORD
Insists That Government Be Run
on Sound Business Basis.
STRONG PROGRESSIVE POLICY
His Personal Efforts to Reduce Cost
Of Efficient Service Bring Results
Work Done by the Economy
and Efficiency Com
mission

President Taft, more than any OF
his predecessors in the White House.
has given strict attention to placing
the government upon a business basis
as regards its receipts and expendi-
lures. Economy and efficiency became
one of the cardinal policies OF his ad-
ministration as soon as he entered
upon the presidency and IL was well
for the country that this was so, for
his administration inherited a deficit
in the treasury OF s5S.0oo. 900. which
has now been transformed to a sur
plus OF s30.o0o,000. The average citi-
zen and taxpayer will be interested in
this fact because the problem which
confronted the president at the outset,
although upon a gigantic scale. was
similar to that Of the ordinary shop
keeper or business man, farmer or
wageearner or even housewife. who
is called upon to make both ends
meet" either in business or in the
home.
By law the secretary Of the treasury
is called upon every year to submit to
congress in December the estimates"
Of governmental expenditures for the
next fiscal year beginning the follow
ing July l. AS congress has to pro-
vide the money to run the government
the money has TO be appropriated for
specific purposes before II can be ex-
pended and IL this we're not done be-
fore the beginning OF the fiscal year
the machinery OF government would
stop unless emergency provision
could be made.
How Estimates Are Made.
The estimates" are prepared by
the executive departments Of which
each member OF the cabinet is head.
The cabinet officers get the "esti-
mates" in their respective Depart
ments from their chiefs of bureaus
and then combine them as the "esti-
mates" for the department. The "es-
Inmates" from all departments are
then sent to the secretary OF the
treasury to be submitted to congress,
and they then become the estimates"
for the cost OF running the entire gov
ernment during the next fiscal year
Upon these figures congress mikes
the greater part Of its annual appro-
priations amounting to more than one
billion dollars annually.
Until 1908 a more or less lax meth
ods of making estimates for the an
nual appropriations obtained through
out the government. The figures sent
TO congress each year. instead OF show
ing indications OF careful pruning"
all along the line. showed there was a
disposition among the departments to
vie with each other in getting as
large appropriations as possible
without considering whether or not
the money demanded could be advan-
tageously expended during the coming
year There was no Standardization |
OF supplies and the various depart !
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 President Taft Did.
AS soon as President Taft took Office
this system ceased. A. the outset
President Taft impressed upon his
cabinet officials the absolute necessity
of economy and efficiency In their de-
partments. He admonished them that
not dollar beyond what was neces-
sary 10 run the government efficiently
m the departments. including a fair
margin for progress which is a part OF