New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-21
NOT FRIGHTENED OFF.

pros;dout Taft has not been diScou'-
aged in his fight for a rational ouu-''
system by the back-dre of the p'lno'
rraiic majority in the House of h'p''.
.enfatives Mir J. J. Fitzgerald OK
BROOKLYN. the chairman OF the House
,nnronr.iations Committee. is an en-
cmv of the budget system, just as MI
Oscar W. Underwood, of Alabama me
chairman of the Ways and Meaus Com
mlttec. is an enemy Of scientific tarlI
revision through the aid of tarill
commission. Both want to continue
The old dark lantern methods of lesiS-
lstion. because In that way they can
better cover up the delinQuencieS OF
their leadership
In the closing hours of the last SEES
sion Mr. Fitzgerald put through as
rider on one Of the appropriation bills
q provision thar estimates Of eNpendl-
lures should not be submitted here
after 10 Congress except in The exact
. forms prescribed by the ninety diiier-
ent statutes relating TO estimates
Those statutes prescribe about wv"
hundred different forms ana compel 50
many differences in statement that any
clear analysis Of the estimates as for
merlv made was utterly impossible
President Taft in his laudahle eff
& fort 70 introduce order and simplicity
into the process Of assembling the eStl-
mates had instructed the heads Of de
partments to compare notes with MIN
before completing their schedules Of
appropriations and had thus laid the
foundations for rational budget
Congress had passed a law requiring
the President 90 submit recommends
tions for new taxation whenever the
estimates of his Cabinet and bureau
>ubordinateS should exceed the GOV
cinments prospective revenues. 1t put
duty on the President which logically
implied u right on his part to super
wise the estimates as whole and keep
them within the bounds of the Treas
uryS income
Mr. Fitzgerald has now without re-
jpying the President Of the response
hiIily Of suggesting new sources Of TAX
alton. sought to deprive him Of direct
\ and efficient supervision OF the eSti-
7 mates. The chairman 81 the Appro-
uriatlons Committee does not want 10
he hanlpered by the submission
through the President Of . carefully
prepared budget He prefers 20 deal
with a hundred different department
aud bureau heads. thus increasing his
committees power and putting q con
venient cover over Cts activities.
But Mr.. Taft hny not been frightened
off by Mr. Fitzgeralds strategy. He
admits that Congress may regulate The
manner III which II shall receive est
mates from subordinate federal off
Gals bu, saws plainly that il cannot
put any limitation on his constitutional
right 70 send in communications and
recommendations He will still submit
10 Congress something ike real bud
get, and ID will then be up to- That
body 10 show exactly bow little it sym
pathizeS with the reforms in our loose
system ~ estimating and appropriating
which the President has long had at
heart.
No feature ~ Mr. Taft's adminislra
ton has been more admirable than It's
painstaking devotion to the undramatic
details OF fiscal retrenchmcnt. For the
first time IN the memory Of this gen
GRAFTON the upward climb Of federal
expenditure has been halted. Economy
I'm management has saved millions Of
dollars ami set an example which will
lead 10 the saving of many other mill
ions. Nj. Tafts courage and patience
as an economist would alone give him
high rank among our Presidents. In
carrying forward his policy in spite Of
the guerilla warfare Of the Demo
cratic majority in the House he can
depend upon the support Of an appre-
clative and Intelligent public
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