Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-02-27

latlon on the topic from the present
congress.
PRESIDENT RESPONSIBLE FOR
The president took ful responsibility
for the message upon himself. Congress
in the last sundry civil bill directed the
secretary of the treasury to submit cs-
Inmates hereafter in the old way. Mr..
Taft pointed out, however that he had
directed the secretary of the treasury to
agree with the directions of congress and
also to send to him information for a
budget message. He referred congress
also to the portion of the constitution
which requires him from time to time to
recommend such measures as he shall
deem necessary and eXpedient.
ADVANTAGES ENUMERATED.
Some of the advantages of the budget
system as pointed out by the president
we're:
A means of locating responsibility for
estimates in keeping with revenues.
A means Of allowing congress to see
how much gross it vii have to spend be
fore it begins apprOpriating for each
department or detail Of government ma
chinery.
Because it would furnish congress and
the public with ready reference to re
ports and detailed records Of account
Because it would produce an adequate
organization for assembling and classi
fying information to be used in telling
the country what has been done and of
the governments future needs
TO aid in working with well de
fined purpose i'll many bureaus hitherto
organized but directed under an incOn-
siStcnt and ill-dcfined program.
TO cancel the nations debt, through
sinking fund and to eliminate the de-
felt. which is slowly growing.
To carry out the budget plan, to re
duce the deficit and the fixed charges
against the government the president
proposed:
To create a sinking fund commission
to consist Of the chairman Of the finance
committee of the senate; the chairman
of the house WAYS and means committee: !:
the attorney general and the secretary
Of the treasury. with the comptroller Of
the treasury as annual auditor Of the
sinking fund account. Legislation
which would wipe out the national debt
in twenty years after July |, 1911, CON
grcSS should set aside $i5,O00,0OO an
nually for that purpose. That would be
$15,000000 Il year less than the present
amount required by law. That the fund
should be invested in three per cent gov
ernmcnt bonds and i'll twenty years the
II 1G0000000 debt. the president says,
would be retired
The adoption of a definite theory is
recommended for future proposals for
internal improvements so that such i'm
prOvements would be in accord with Il
well thought out plan. In this cOnnec-
tiOn the president suggested the saving of
rent paid in Washington for buildings
used by the government through the con
structiOn Of new buildings to cost about
$1OO,0OO,0OO to be paid for through Il
period of 20 years.
. COULD REDUCE SALARY POLL.
Briefly stated" wrote the president,
my suggestion is that the government
first plant for its land purchase. build
ings, and public works, then borrow
money to acquire and to construct them.
propOrtiOnng the cost over a period Of
20 years, and making the bonds issued
to meet the cost payable out of an ade-
quate sinking fund"
OF a reduction of the salary roll of
the government, amounting to about
ru,5OU,OOO annually. twO.thirds. the pres
ident declared. would be saved by adopt
ing his scheme to classify what are now
presidential appointments. Almost 81
100000. annually could be kept in gov
! ernment cOffers through post office de