The Pensacola journal., 1913-02-28
THE ECONOMY
PLAN OF TAFT
IS EXPLAINED
PRESIDENT SENDS A SPECIAL
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS RE.
LATINe TO EFFICIENCY IN DE.
PARTMENTs.
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

-A90SC1A4 GEkGSG.
Washington. Feb. 27.-President Taft
today sent to congress his much dis
cussed budget message. He rec
commended the adoption of a budget
system or relating proposed expendi-
lures to expected revenues and de-
clared that congress would be greatly
benefited by having before it such
statement before it began the annual
grind upon appropriation bills. The
United States the president wrote. was
the only great nation in the world
which did not use the budget system
in consequence it may be said to be
without plan or program" He indi-
Gated that owing to the late day at
which he was able to transmit his
message he expected little legislation
on the topic from the present congress
The president took full responsibility
for the message upon himself. Con-
gress in the last sundry civil bill di-
rected the secretary of the treasury
to submit estimates hereafter in the
old way. Mr.. Taft pointed out how
ever, that he had directed the secre-
tary of the treasury to agree with the
directions of congress and also to send
to him information fer a budget mes
sage. He referred congress also to
the portion of the constitution which
requires him from time to time to rec
onnend such measures as he shall
deem necessary and expedient.
ADVANTAGES or SYSTEM.
Scme of the advantages of the bud
get system as pointed out by the presi-
dent were:
a means of locating responsibility
for arfi04afae n traaniro rr-sfN
nues.
A means of allowing congress to see
how much gross it will have to spend
before it begins appropriating for each
department. or detail OF government
machinery.
Because ii would furnish congress
and the public with ready reference
TO reports and detailed records of ac-
count
Because il would produce an ade-
quate organization for assembling and
classifying information to be used N
telling the country what has been done
and of the governments future needs.
To aid in working with a well de-
fined purpose in many bureaus hith-
erto organized but directed under an
Inconsistent and Hl-defined program.
To cancel the nations debt, through
a sinking fund and to eliminate the
deficit. 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 fl
nance committee of the senate: the
chairman of the house ways and
means committed; the attorney gem
eral and the secretary of the treasury,
with the comptroller of the treasury
as annual auditor of the sinking fund
account. Legislation which would
wipe ont the national debt in twenty
years after July l, 1914, congress
should set aside $45.000.00O annually
for that purpose. That would be
S15.0s0.000 year less than the present
amount required by law That fund
should be invested in three per cent
government bonds and in twenty years
the sl,1e0 e00. 900 debt, the president
says would he retired.
A DEFINITE THEORY.
The adoption of definite theory
is recommended for future proposals
for internal improvements so that
such improvements would be in accord
with a well thought out plan. In that
connection the president suggested the
saving of the rent paid in Washington
for buildings used by the government
through the construction of new build
ings to cost about 81, 600, 900 to be paid
for through q period of twenty years.
Briefly stated wrote the president
my suggestion is that the government
first plan for it's land purchases, build-
Inc f1aay,
to acquire to construct them, proper
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
S6.5ee,00o annually, two thirds, the
president declared, would be saved by
;Sopting his scheme to classify what
are now presidential appointments.
Almost $4,000, 900, annually could be
kept in government Golfers through
postoffice department changes The
sum of $4,000, 900 would be crt from the
pay roll, Mr.. Taft continued. il ther
we're complete executive re-classi-
fi-ation of civil service employees. Un-
der this head the president wrote:
REcLASSlFY SALARIES.
'In the present situation many men
at the bottom are receiving larger
salaries than would be obtained for
similar work in outside employment,
whereas men in higher positions carry
ing great responsibility and the sue
cess OF whose performance depends on
training and long experiences, are in
adequately paid. From the view point
of the rank and file there is little hope
OF reward for merit. The foundation
tor reclassification OF salaries already
has been laid. In my opinion 1t would
enable the government to pay higher
salaries to those Of whom experience,
training and initiative are required
and make the saving of SO 900, 600.
Elimination of waste in the distri-
button Of public documents; reduction
of the number of United States assay
offices and possibly the number of
mints and their consolidation into one,
are other recommendations.
with much hesitation the presi-
dent recommends the organization OF
q budget committee of congress. Tt
should act as final clearing house
through which all the recommenda-