The Washington times., 1913-03-18
WILSON COMMITTED
i TO BUDGET SYSTEM
President Tells of Error in
Present Methods in Letter
to Senator TiIIman.

President Wilson is committed to
the budget plan of estimating ard
for ecasting Government expenditures
and will continue the plan laid down
TO Congress by Mr.. Taft on The rec
concentrations of DR.. Cleveland, of
the Presidents economy and efficiency
commission.
Speaking of the present system of
preparing estimates, the President
said in a letter to Senator Tillman:
"This business of building up the ex-
penses of the nation, piece by piece,
will certainly lead us to error and
perhaps to embarrassment"
The letter is important not only
with respect to the continuation of
the bHdget policy. which Mr.. Taft was
only able to initiate, but as indicating 8
that the Presidents economy and ef-
fcieacy commission has found q
friend in President Wilson who may
ask for its continuation.
The note from the President also
contains an interesting statement
concerning Senaor Tillman's ambition
to be chairman of the Senate Appro-
priations Committee.
The letter follows:
My Dear Senator:
Brief absence from my office and con-
stant absorption with the business con-
nected with the opening of our legislative
ing sooner to your most interesting
and important letter. / went you to
know with what deep and genuine ap-
probation l have read it,. ! thank you
for 1t very warmly. indeed.
t'Confidentially, the Appropriations
mt ic <h1 VI
YOU would have the hardest work, but
your letter convicted me that 1t is also
the committee In which your interest
chiefly lies and where you can certainly
be of the greatest and most constant
service.
Ever since was a youngster 1 have
been deeply interested in our methods
of financial legislation. Ever since then
i have insisted upon the absolute neces-
sity OF a carefully considered and
wisely planned budget, and one of the
objects / shall have most in mind when
j get to Washington will be conferences
with my legislative colleagues there
with view to bringing some budget
system into existence. This business of
building up the expenses of the nation,
piece by piece, viii certainly lead US to
error and perhaps embarrassment.
II was very much pleased by your
reelection, and shall look forward with
the greatest interest to being associated
with you in counsel
The letter from Senator Tfllman oealt
with his candidacy for Craftsmanship of
the Senate Appropriations Committee
President Wilson's reply indicates that
he was fully cognizant of the physical
demands of the place, one of the chief
considerations urged last week, when
Senator Tillman was defeated for the
place by Senator Martin
Apt Reply.
To the statement that the position
was possibly too strenuous for Senator
Tlllman to maintain. he replied that he
thought any one who attended all the
sessions of the Baltimore convention was
yell able to manage the affairs of even
a busy Senate committee. The vote in
the Senate was So decisive that the
question is regarded as settled
Mr. Taft sent two messages on the
budget TO Congress. The first outlined
the plan but did nothing more than
stimulate interest in the innovation
last Congress only a few days before its
close and contained the detailed re-
suits of the work done by the Pres-
dents Economy and Efficiency Com
mission.
Since the beginning OF the Wilson Ad-
ministration Dr. Cleveland. who had
charge Of the budget work of the COM
mission. has been at the White House
once. He did not see the President.
On leaving he said he was holding him
self ready to confer with the President
whenever he evinced interest In the
subject.
Democrats Opposed.
The Democratic majority in Congress
did not take kindly to the budget pro-
posal, and some one must now draw in
his horns, either Congress or President
Wilson. After the first message on
the budget was sent to Congress by
Mr.. Taft, the Democrats inserted in an