The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1912-03-28
PRESIDENT TAFT'S
ECONOMY RECORD

HIS pTeu6CtSSOTS III the w ulle IlOuScs
has given strict attention to placing
the government upon business basis
as regards it's receipts and expendi-
lures. Economy and efficiency became
one of the cardinal policies Of his ad-
ministration as soon as he entered
upon the presidency and 1t was well
for the country that this was SO, for
his administration inherited deficit
in the treasury of $58.000,000, which
has now been transformed to a sur
plus of $3O,000,000. 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
is called upon to make both ends
meet" either In business or in the
home.
By law the secretary of the treasury
is called upon every year to submit to
congress in December the estimates"
of governmental expenditures for the
next fiscal year beginning the follow
ae July l. As congress has to pro-
vide the money to run the government
the money has to be appropriated for
specific purposes before il 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 "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-
mates" from all departments are
then sent to the secretary of the
tre asury TO be submitted to congress,
aud they then become the estimates"
fer the cost of running the entire gov
erument during the next fiscal year.
tIpcn these figures congress makes
the greater part of its annual appro-
prialions amounting to more than one
billion dollars annually.
Until 1908 more or less lax meth
eds Of making estimates for the an
nual appropriations obtained through
out the government. The figures sent
- cenCress each year, instead of show
ing indications of careful pruning"
II long the line, showed there was
disposition among the departments to
Vie with each other in getting as
rge appropriations as possible
without considering whether or not
ht money demanded could be advan-
;ageously expended during the coming
year. There was no Standardization
Of supplies and the various depart
.ents were paying varying prices for
be same article. In other words,
business methods did not obtain in
he government activities and there
ras no conservation Of the resources
If the treasury department.
What President Taft Did.
AS soon as President Taft took Office
his system ceased. At the outset
President Taft impressed upon his
;abinet officials the absolute necessity
Of economy and efficiency In their de.
partments. He admonished them that
lot dollar beyond what was neces
sary to run the government efficiently
In the departments, including a faii
margin for progress which IL part OF
efficiency in the program OF President
Taft, should be asked of congress. The
effect was immediate. Every depart
nent began work at once to invesu-
ate it's own expenditures and to de-
Use ways and means of curtailing ex-
ravagance. The result was that con-
ress received the lowest estimates IL
had seen In years. This was followed
~ reduction in appropriations to
correspond. always allowing for the
natural growth OF the governments
activities, which represented a net
aving 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
0y reason of their familiarity with
their own endeavors. often insisted
that their work was more important
han the work Of the other depart
nents, relatively speaking. In order
correct that evil he asked congress
give him 100000 for a commission
Z disinterested experts to investigate
I'D report on the business of the gov
rnment with a view to further econ
my and efficiency. Thus came into
fficial being the commission of that
name.
This commission. among other du-
ties was directed to prepare the re-
ceipts and expenditures of the gov
ernment on budget" basis, which is
the system followed by practically all
the leading nations of the world ex-
cept the United States. Under this