Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-01-22

cases would result in direct saving
OF about 100000 per annum.
Other Expenditures to Be Investie ated
Before economy in government trad
Ing can be adequately covered such
subjects as the following must be sys-
tematically inquired into-viz: Subsist-
ence and support Of persons; sllbsist-
ence and care for animals and the stor
age and care Of vehicles; telephone
telegraph and commercial messenger
service; printing, engraving, litho-
graphing and binding; advertising and
the publication of notices; heat. light.
power and electricity purchased; re-
pairs by contract and open market or
der; building and other materials:
drafting, scientific. and stationery sup.
plies; fuel; mechanics, engineering and
electricians supplies; cleaning and
toilet supplies; wearing apparel and
hand sewing supplies; forage and 9th
er supplies for animals; provisions: ex
plosives and pyrotechnic supplies; heat.
light, power and electrical equipment:
live stock; furniture and furnishings:
educational and scientific equipment
From what has been already ascertain
ed concerning certain Of these differ
ent objects Of government expenditure
1t Is evident that large savings will re
suit from such an examination.
Reports at Present Required by Con.
oress.
The commission has made a study of
the present requirements Of law relat
ing to reports which are in whole or
IN part financial in character from the
various departments and establish
meuts. There are more than ninety
acts Of congress which annually re-
quire reports Of this character. These
requirements of the law result in near
ly 200 printed reports relating to finan-
cial matters, which must be submitted
annually to the congress by the vari-
GUS departments and establishments.
Studies Of these reports and compari-
sons of the classification Of eXpendi-
lures as set forth therein have been
made by the commission to the end
that so far as practicable, uniformity
of classification Of objects Of eXpendi-
ture may be recommended and identi-
cal Technology adopted.
In due time | shall transmit to the
congress such recommendations for
changes in the present laws relating to
these annual reports as appear to be
pertinent and necessary.
No National Budget.
The United States is the only great
nation whose government is operated
without a budget This fact seems to
be more striking when it is consd
cred that budgets and budget proce
Cures are the outGrowth of democratic
doctrines and have had an important
part in the development of modern
constitutional rights. The American
commonwealth has suffered much
from irresp0nsibility~ on the. part of its
governing agencies. The constitutional
purpose of Il budget IS to make gov
ernment responsive to public opinion
and responsible for its acts.
A budget should be the means fer
getting before the legislative branch.
before the press and before the PEG
pie a definite annual program of bust
ness to be financed. 1t should be in
the nature of prospectus both of
revenues and expenditures. 1t 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
nual budget program is discussed with
special reference to the revenue to be
raised. the thought being that the rails
ing Of revenue bears more direct rela-
Ton 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 it has been
assumed generally that the individual
citizen has little interest in what the
government spends. In my opinion,
this has been serious mistake, one
W0lCn 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 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 a 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
. <horol 10 u-a n 70 n ln n Uot n dollar If