Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-09-12
BUSINESS MEN FOR TAFT.

Chairman f1lll0S OF CN0 republican
national committee has issued state
ment In which he declares that he has
found conservative business men to be
for the reelection of President Taft
because of his record as an economical
chief executive. The statement OF
mr.. Hilles, which was based on an
investigation of the political situation
the country over and on reports from
the various states, follows:
t'I found that conservative business
men look with favor on the candidacy
of President Taft for reelection be-
cause they know he has been q con-
scientious and successful adminfstra.
tor of the finances of the government.
Usually public official who imposes
a check on the increasing expenditure
finds that he has performed . thank
less task. It is not q sufficiently spec
|tacuIar stunt to lay hold OF the imag
nation. The situation In the treas
ury. with which President Taft was
confronted. was very different from
that which confronted Mr.. Roosevelt
when he became the president. Mr.
Roosevelt In 1901 assumed charge OF
a government whose ordinary dis
for that fiscal year were
SAT-, 19O,S57. The receipts for thai
year were $91 900, 900 In excess OF the
disbursements.
4 Expenses Increased by Roosevelt.
"The aggregate of public expendt
lures increased steadily for several
years under Mr.. Roosevelt. During the
last wear of his administration the to,
tai of the cuxrent operating expenses
had attained the unprecedented figure
of $3.50, 324,444, and during that year
there was deficit of $4,000, 900. Thus
by ignoring opportunity for ehecting
economies and introducing efnciency
President Roosevelt had permitted 9
surplus of $9O,OOO,O00 in 1902 to be.
come a deficit of $4,000. 900 in 1908
and during that period of seven years
fine ordinary expenses Of government
had increased $4,000, 900, or 40 per
cent. ~
Hence the increase In the cost OF
conducting the ordinary governmental
operations during the Roosevelt re-
CINE was almost 6 per cent annually )
It was 4 per cent during the preceding
period of ten years, and approximately
8 per cent per annum during the de'
cade Of 1882 to 1892.
"Mr. Taft might have looked with
complacency upon this phase OF gov
erfnental operations and defended an
annual increase In disbursement OF
Is 6 per cent by pointing to the prac'
fice of the past twenty years. But ne
chose to dedicate himself to the task
Of settling a great business house IN
order 40 that instead Of increasing the
burden of expenditure $35,OO0,OOO
year during each of the three years
president Taft's administration mas
reduced the ordinary disbursements
from 100000 to $654,0 900 pei
annum and the deficit OF $5S,O0O.Ooo
for the last year of the Roosevelt ad-
m;nistration has been turned into
surplus Of 500 ,OOO,O0 in the last year
of the Taft administration
There is nothing that inspires en-
thusiasm in an economy campaign.
strangely enough the people 90 not
seem to be so much interested IN plans
for economically administering the
funds they dig up from their pocKet
as in plans for the lavish expenditure
Of these funds. Yet it is as necessary
in the nation as in the states and
cities that the expenditures should De
kent within the income. We. In OF.
tumwa. know the necessity OF 1t 1or
In the last two years this city has been
run on the basis Of the most rigid
economy, because we were forced to
It by extravagances of the past
President Taft's administration did
not and it necessary to carry his
oconomy campaign into the ranks OF
the government employees. On the
contrary the pay of city and rural
postal employees has been raised. But
by abolishing useless commissions,
which served no other purpose than
to provide jobs for office seekers, and
by overhauling the government de
partments and putting them on a
business basis he placed the govern.
ment on business footing and
changed treasury deficit TO sur
plus. 80 4
55bS .5.T - sNtsa}r- X
1894 VS.. 1912.
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