The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1912-03-23
THE PRESIDENTS
ECONOMY RECORD
Taft Insists That Government Be
Run on Sound Business Basis.
HIS PROGRESSIVE POLICY.

HE Personal Efforts to Reduce Cost Of
Efficient Service Bring Results-Busi-
ness Methods Applied-Eeonomy and
Efficiency Commission Fought by
Democrats.
President Taft more than any Of his
predecessors In the White House has
given strict attention to placing the
government upon a business basis as
regards It's receipts and expenditures.
Economy and efficiency became one of
the cardinal policies Of his administra-
ton as soon as he entered upon the
presidency, and it was well for the
country that this was. so, for his ad-
ministration inherited a deficit In the
treasury Of $5s.OOO,OOO, which has now
been transformed into a surplus of
$80.OO0,OO0. The average citizen and
taxpayer will be interested in this
fact, because the problem which con-
fronted the president at the outset. al.
though upon gigantic scale, was
similar to that of the ordinary shop
keeper or business man. farmer or
wage Garner or even housewife who
Is called upon to make "both ends
meet" either in business. or in the
home.
BY law the secretary Of the treasury
10 called upon every year to submit to
congress in December the estimates"
of governmental expenditures for the
next fiscal year. beginning the follow
ing July 1. As congress has to pro-
vide the money to run the government.
the money has to be appropriated for
specific purposes before 1t can be ex.
pended, and If 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 is head. The
cabinet officers get the estimates" In
their respective departments from their
chiefs Of bureaus and then combine
them as the estimates" for the depart
ment. The estimates" from all de-
partments are then sent to the secre-
tary Of the treasury to be submitted
to congress, and they then become the
estimates" for the cost of running the
entire government during the next fis-
cal year. Upon these figures congress
makes the greater part If its appropria-
lions, amounting to more than $1,000.
100000 annually.
Until 1908 a more or less lax method
Of making estimates for the annual
appropriations obtained throughout the
government. The figures sent to con-
gress each year, instead Of showing
indications Of careful pruning" all
along the line, showed there was
disposition among the departments to
vie with each other in getting as large
appropriations as possible without con-
sidering whether or not the money de-
manded could be advantageously ex-
pended during the coming year. There
was no standardization Of supplies, and
the various departments were paying
varying prices for the same article.
What President Taft Did.
Az soon as President Taft took office
this system ceased. At the outset Pres
dent Taft impressed upon his cabinet
officials the absolute necessity Of econ
omy and efficiency In their depart
ments. He admonished them that not
q dollar beyond what was necessary to
run the government efficiently in their
departments. including fair margin
for progress. which Is part of eficien-
cy in the program of President Taft.
should be asked of congress The eff
feet was Immediate Every depart