The chronicle=news., 1913-02-26
1AF1'S Farewell
MESSAGE TO CONG.
tcoutipuea from page ons)

tnrOukn u sinking Iuhu auu W c1'u-
| iuate tho deficit, which Is slowly
growing.
To carry out the budget plan. to
reduce the deficit and the fixed
charges against the government the
President proposed
To creut&, IA sinking fund coinmls-
sion TO consist OF the chairman OF
the finance committee Of tho SEN
ate: 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. Legisla-
tion which would wipe out the ma
| tional debt In twenty years after
July I. 1914. congress should set
| aside &43.OOO.00o annually for thai
purpose. That would be $4,000
900 year less than the present
amount required by Law. That funt
should be invested In three per cent
government bonds and In twenty
years tho &i.iC0. 1000 debt. the
President says would be retired.
The adoption OF a definite theory
IL recon mended for future proposals IL
for Internal improvements 40 that
| such improvements would be- In ac-
cord with "a well thought out plnu.
Iu that connection the President suE-
ges,ed tho saving OF tue rent paid In
Washington for buildings used -
the Government through tn. con.
structiou Of new buildings to cost
about $l0V.O00.000 TO BE- paid for
through a period OF 20 years.
| briefly stated" wrote the Presi-
dent. my suggestion is that the
| sovcrnmni first plan for Its land
| purchases. buildings. and public
works. then borrow honey to acquire
and to construct them. proportioninI
the cost over a period Of 20 years.
and making the bonds issued TO meet
the cost payable out Of an adequate
sinking fund
or a reduction OF the salary roll Of
the government amounting to about
81. 100000 annually. two thirds. the
President declared. would be saved
by adopting his scheme to classify
what are now Presidential appoint.
mcn,s. Almost S3.0O0.00O annually
could be kept In government Golfers
! through post office department
changes. The sum OF 3:.0Oo.OO0
would bc cut from the pay roll. Mr.
Taft continued. II there were u com.
plctc executive iassitication oi
civil service employees. Under ,hi,
head tn. President wrote:
In the present situation many
men u, the bottom are receiving
larger salaries than would bc oh
taincd for similar work In outside
employment. whereas men In higher
positions carrying great responsible.
ity and the success OF whose per.
formancc depends on training and
long experience. are inadcQnHteiy
paid. From the view point Of tho
rank and file there is little hope OF
reward for merit. The fouuda lion
for reclassification Of saiafcs nleady
! has been laid. In my opinion I,
would enable the government to pay
higher salar!.s to those OF whom cN.
peticnce. training and init!o;Ive are
REQUIRED and make the saving Of 32.-
100000"
n Elimination OF waste In the dis.
II tribut!on OF public documents: re.
ductIon OF the number OF United
II States assay offices and possibly the
number of mints and their consoii-
II dation into one. are other rccommen-
\ datious.
with much hesitation the Pres
| idcnt recommends the organization
OF u budget committee OF congress.
\ II should act as u finnl clearing
house through which all the recon.
mcndations of committees having TO
do with revenues and expenditures
would payy before they take the
forms Of bills.
The special reason I have for urg-
Ing this committee, wrote the
President. "is that at present the nd
minystration IL seriously handi.
capped by not being able TO take up
4 proposals for constructive measures
affecting any particular department.
with any one body Or committee
which will undertake TO consider
them in all their aspects"
Going further the President sug.
gcstcd that appropriations should be
In the following classes:
To cover overhead and operating
cost.
For upkeep Of property.
\ For fixed charges. including sink
Ing fund
For permanent improvements.
| Concluding he snys: THE gov
crnmcnt is not only In the position
OF having gone along for a century
without budget. but what is at this
time even more to the point. it hus
not the organic means either for
preparing or for considering one.
am recommending That Congress
! make some organic provision where
| by the administrative and legislative
branch may coordinate their efforts
in the development Of the future ac-
uvitics of the government as we'll
as for the determination of the cx-
pcnditures needed for the current
[ transaction Of its business
To get things coming your way it
is necessary to go after them