Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1912-04-04
DAlnsIsts That Government Be Run
on Sound Business Basis.
STRONG PROGRESSIVE POLICY
.slIs Personal efforts to Reduce Cost
Of efficient Service Bring Results
Work Done by the Economy
and Efficiency Com
mission.

the government upon business OASIS
A regards its receipts and expendi'
tures. Economy and efficiency became
one OF the cardinal policies OF his 40.
, administration as soon as he entered
ubon the presidency and II was well
for the country that this was 80. ior
/. his administration inherited a de1cit
I'm the treasury Of $5S.0O0,OOO, which
has now been transformed TO q sur
Mus OF 100000 The average citi'
ZEN and taxpayer will be interested IN
this fact because the problem which
confronted the president at the outset,
although upon gigantic scale, was
similar to that Of the ordinary shop
keeper or business man, farmer or
wage.earner or even housewife, who
IL called upon to make both ends
meet" either In business or In the
home.
By law tho secretary Of the treasury
a called Upon every year to submit TO
congress in December the estimates"
uf governmental expenditures for the
next fiscal year beginning the follow
ing July /. AS congress has to pro
vide the money to run the government
the money has to be appropriated for
specifc purposes before It can be ex-
pended and II this were 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 10 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"
nor the cost Of running the entire gov
4ernment during the next fiscal year,
Upon these figures congress makes
ahe greater part Of It's annual apprC-
priations amounting 70 more than one
sbillicn dollars annually.
Until 1908 q more or less Lax meth
eds or making estimates for the an
nuai appropriations obtained through.
ont the government, The figures sent
10 congress- each year. instead Of show
4 sng indications Of . careful pruning"
nj along the line. showed there was
aaispOsltion among the departments to
Vie with each other In getting as
\ anrge appropriations. as possible
without considering whether or not
the money demanded could be advan-
aageously expended during the coming
year. There was no Standardization
q supplies and the various depart
ments were paying varying prices for
The same article. In other words.
hnsiness methods did not obtain In
me government activities and there
was no conservation Of the resources
.nf the treasury department.
what President TAFT Old.
AZ soon as President Taft took ONCE
: thip system ceased At the outset
President Taft impressed upon HE
cabinet officials the absolute necessity
.nf economy and efficiency In their de-
partments. He admonished them that
not dollar beyond what was neces-
.wary 10 run the government efficiently
IA the departments, including fair
mafgin for progress which 10 . part Oe
pIiciency In the program Of President
Taft, should be asked Of congress The
eject was immediate. Every depart
meut began work at once to inveeti.
rate its own expenditures and to de-
Vine ways and means Of curtailing ex-
xravagance. The result was that com
wress received the lowest estimates II
rad seen in years. This was followed
~ q reduction in appropriations to
correspond. always allowing. for the
natural growth Of the governments
activities, which represented q net
saving to the Taxpayers Of the coun-
try.
President Taft was not. however,
satisfied that all had been done that
could be done. He realized that the
departments Of the government, like
individuals. are naturally prone to be
proud Of their own achievements and
~ reason Of their familiarity with
aheir own endeavors. often insinted
that their work was more important
than the work o. the other depart,
ments, relatively speaking. In order
10 correct that evil be asked congress-
- i've him 500. Ooo for . commission
~ disintsTested experts to inveatigats
nnd rspogt On fhe business o. the gov
esnmeat With q fl6t . fuIthsr econ
~nniy and eIaclsncy. Thus came Int
egncial being the o0nnibsion Of thai
same.
Thls commission. among other do.
afes. was directed TO prepare the ~
csipts and expenditures Of the sov'
eminent on budget" basis, which Il
the system followed ~ practically all
the leadlng nations q the world En-
oept TIE United States. Under thil
usten 4 q possible for re humblesl