The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-01-09
MILLIONS IN TAFT
ECONOMY PLAN
President Sends Recommends
tions to Congress.
he WOULD Save MILLIONS
Asks For s25o,o0o Appropriation and
Urges Congress to Continue His
Commission.


Urges Congress- to Continue His
Commission.
Washington, Jan. 9. - Congress ID
asked in special message from Presi.
dent Taft to appropriate $250.000 for
continuing the investigations Of the
commission ON economy and efficiency
into the executive departments of the
government, to be available for the in.
coming administration.
The president points out that there
is NO greater service that can be rem
dered to the country than that of the
continuance of the work of the COM
mission until some form of organiza-
ton is provided for continuously do
Ing this kind of work under the execu-
tive"
Mr.. Taft expresses the opinion that
the technique and procedure Of every
branch and Office of the government
should be submitted to the same pains
taking examination as that given those
on which reports have been made.
"In my opinion" says the president,
"this Is not a matter in which the con-
gress should assume that public money
will be unwisely spent. At a total cost
Of about $230,000 during the twenty
one months covered by the work of
the commission, facts have been de-
ve1oped and recommendations have
been made that, If followed out, will re-
suit in savings of millions Of dollars
each year.
dicap of inadequate funds and uncer-
tainty of continuation. 1t would be
very much to the advantage of the ad-
ministration If the president were au-
thorized to spend whatever amount
he may deem to be necessary within
the next two years.
1T is further to be noted that the
Offices which have been reported on
are those which have been frequently
under scrutiny. From what Is known
Of the Offices outside Of Washington It
Is thought that it Is in this field that
the largest opportunities for economy
will be found-partly due to the fact
that these Offices have not been
brought under scrutiny, and partly due
to the fact that large numbers Of them
are dominated by political appointeee.
"As illustrating the relative imp0rt
ance of service outside of Washingto1
1t is of interest to note -thet the "a =
0f4 clerk hire at~t the NeM
of1ce alone Is more than tha --urred
in the departments Of war, navy, state,
justice and commerce and labor at
Washington"
The presidents message transmits
eleven reports of the commission. The
changes recommended carry definite
estimates of a yearly saving of several
million of dollars, besides other econO-i
mics still larger in amount for which
no definite estimates are made.
President Taft in a second message
recommended the repeal of the act
killing of fur seals on the Pribilof ISL
ands, passed more than a year ago.
Investigation, the president said, show
ed remarkable increase in the size
Of the herd in one season and proved
conclusively that only the female seals
and the bull male seals need protection
and that thousands of bachelor" seals
can be killed each year without reduc-
ing the herd.
The act which the president wished
repealed was adopted to give effect to
the first seal treaty of 1911 between
Great Britain, Japan, Russia and the
United States.