The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1912-01-19

4
The service materials. supplies and equip
| n.eut which are better adapted to its
| purposes. One Of the results of indef1n-
| iteness os specifications is to impose con-
! tract conditions which make 1t extra ha-
| zardous for persons to enter into con-
| tractunl relations. This not only deprives
| the government of the advantage of
! broad competition, but causes 1t to pay
an added margin IN price to vendors who
| must carry the risk
Excessive Cost of Travel.
One Of the first steps taken TOWARD
! constructive work was the reclassifica-
| ton of the expenditures for the year 1910
| by objects The foundation was thus
/ made for the investigation of government
| trading practices. While 1t was recog-
nized that this large field could not be
| covered within year except at enormous
| cost, the subjects Of Transportation Of
| persons" and Subsistence while in travel
| status" were taken as concrete examples.
| The annual cost of travel to the govern
| lnent was found to be about $12,0O COO. 1t
/ was also found that the government en-
| ployees were travelling in practically ev-
cry way that open to the public; 1t
was further found that although the gov
| eminent was the largest user Of trans
| portation. 1t was buying railroad tickets
on a less favorable basis than would be
| possible II the subject Of travelling ex-
|
/ from the point of view of the government
| as whole. The form Of ticket most Oft
! en- used between such points as New
! York, Philadelphia and Washington was
| the single-trip, frst-class ticket. In two
! departments definite tests have been
| made in the use Of mileage boks and in
each practically the same result has been
reported, viz, an average saving of a
| little over one-half of cent per mile.
Better Methods for Purchasing.
Through a long period of years and by
| NUMEROUS laws and orders there has
| grown up a procedure governing public
| advertising and contracting that Is more
burdensome and expensive in some cases
than is necessary. The procedure is not
uniform in the various departments it Is
not uniform in many cases for the diff
ferent services in the same department
To make uniform the requirements so far
as practicable will be in the interest Of
economy and efficiency and bring about
that simplicity that will secure the larg-
est opportunity for contractors to bid for
government work, and will secure for the
government the most favorable prices OBJ
tanned by any purchaser.
The Budget.
The United States is the only great ma
ton whose government Is operated with
out a budget This fact seems to be more
gets and budget procedures are the out
growth of democratic doctrines and have
mad an important part in the development
OF modern constitutional rights. The
American commonwealth has suffered
much from responsibility on the part of
its governing agencies. The constitution
al purpose of a budget is to make gov
eminent responsive to public opinion and
responsible for it's acts.
The Budget as an Annual Program.
A budget should be the means for get
ting before the legislative branch, before
the press, and before the people definite
annual program of business to be fnan-
ced; 1t should be in the nature of a pros
pectus both Of revenues and expendi-
lures; 1t should comprehend every rela-
ton of the government to the people,
whether with reference to the raising Of
revenues or the rendering of service.
In many foreign countries the annual
budget program Is discussed with special
reference to the revenue to be raised, the
thought being that the raising of revenue
bears more direct relation 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 revenue
law was proposed.
Pubiic-Wefare Questions.
The principal government objects in
which the people of the United States
are interested include:
The national defense; the protection of
persons and property; the promotion Of
friendly relations and the protection Of
American interests abroad; the regulation
Of commerce and industry; the promotion
Of agriculture, fisheries, forestry and min
| ing the promotion Of manufacturing
commerce, and banking the promotion Of
transportation and communications the
postal service including postal savings
and parcels post; the care for and utin-
cation of the public domain; the promo
ton Of education, art, science and recre-
alton; the promotion Of the public health;
the care and education of the Indians
and other wards of the nation.
These are public-welfare questions IN
which I assume every citizen has a vital
interest. 1 believe that every member of
congress, as an official representative of
the people, each editor, as a non-official
| representative of public opinion, each
citizen, as a beneficiary of the trust i'm
posed officers of the government
should be able readily to ascertain how
much has been spent for each Of these
purposes; how much has been appropri-
ated for the current year; how much the
administration is asking for each Of these
purposes for the next fiscal year.
Furthermore each person interested
digested statement showing in detail
whether moneys appropriated have been
economically spent and whether each di-
vision or office has been efficiently run.
This is the information which should be
available each year in the form Of
budget and in detail accounts and reports
supporting the budget.
Continuance of the Commission.
ask the continuance of this commits
sion on economy and efficiency because
of the excellent beginning which has been
made toward the reorganization Of the
machinery of this government on bust
| ness principles. I ask 1t because its work
| is entirely partisan in character and
| ought to apply to every citizen who
| wishes to give effectiveness to popular
government in which we feel a just pride.
| The work further commendS itself for
| the reason that the cost Of organization
| and work has been carefully considered
| at every point Three months were taken
| In consideration Of plans before the in
| curry was begun; six months were then
| spent in preliminary Investigations before
| the commission was organized before
| March g. 1911, when I asked for a con-
| tinuation of the original appropriation
| for the current year, only $4,000 had been
| spent
| The expenditure for the inquiry during
| tbe present fiscal year is at the rate OF
| $3.50. COO The mass of information which
| must be collected, digested and sunlmar-
| lied pertaining to each subject Of inquiry
| Is enormous From the results OBJ
| tanned It is evident that every dollar
| which is spent in the prosecution of tn,
| INQUIRY in the future will result in mani