Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-27
OF President Taft Goes TO
Congress, "Wednesday.
Advocates Adoption Of Budget
System Relating Expenditures
To the Expected Revenues, Thereby
Keeping Better Tabs on Finances.

Washington, Feb. 2G.-President Taft
today, sent TO Congress his much dis
cusged budget" message. He recon-
mended the adoption of Il budget sys-
tenn Of relating proposed expenditures
to expected revenues, and declared that
Congress would be greatly benefited
by having before it such a statement
before it began the annual grind upon
apprOpriat ion bills. The United States,
the President wrote. was the only great
nation in the world which did not use
the budget system and in consequence
il may be said To be without plan or
program" lie indicated 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.
Tie President took full responsibility
for the message upon himself Con-
gross in the last sundry civil bill di-
rected the Secretary of the Treasury
10 submit estimates hereafter in the.
Old Way. Mr.. TAFT pointed out. how
ever, that he had directed the Score
tary Of the Treasury to agree with
the directions of Congress ana also
To send to him information
for budget message. He refer
rcd Congress also To the portion of the
Constitution which requires him from
time To time to recommend such meas
ures IS he shall deem necessary ana
expedient.
| some ef the advantages Of the budget
cyr % -
were:
\ means Of locating responsibility
for estimates in Keeping with revenues.
\ means Of allowing Congress to see
how much gross it viii have To spend
before It begins appropria ting for each
Department or detail of government
machinery.
| Because it would furnish Congress
and the public with ready reference 10
reports and detailed records of account
Because it would produce an ade-
quate organization for assembling and
classifying information 10 be used in
/ telling the country what has been done
and Of the Government future needs
! TO I'D in working with n well defined
purpose in many bureaus hitherto or
ganiZed but directed under an incon-
| sistent auc ill-defined program.
To cancel the nations debt, through
4 sinking fund and 10 eIiminategfhr
dencit, which is slowly growing.
To carry out the budget plan, To re-
dnee f4.ffe 'Ge1icfr md tie fkea esia En-
against the government tie Presidef1t
proposed
To create a sinking fund Commission
| to consist of the Chairman of the. III.
nance Committee of the Senate: the
Chairman of the House Wavs and
Means Committee: the Attorney-Ge :,
eral nd the Secretary of the Treasury.
with The Comptroller Of the Treasury
rs annual auditor of the sinking fund
account. Legisla ton which wonldswipe
oat tie national debt in twenty years
after July /, 1914, Congress should set
aside S45,0o0.00o annually fer that pur-
pose That would be SIS. 900 coo a year
less than the present amount required
by law That fund should be invested
in taree per cent Government bonds
and in twenty years the s1,l6o,oo0, 600
debt. the President says would be re
tired
The adoption of definite theory is
recommended for future proposals for
Internal improvements 50 that such
Improvements would be IN accord with
a Well thought out plan. In that con-
nection ~the President suggested the
saving of the rent paid in Washington
fer buildings used by the Government
through the construction of new build
ings 10 cost about 800. 100000 TO be paid
for through period of 20 years.
Briefly stated" wrote the Presi-
dent, my suggestion is that the
Government first plan for it's land
purchases, buildings. and public works.
then borrow money To acquire and 10
construct them, proportioning the cost
over a period of 20 years, and making
the bonds issued to meet the cost
payable out of an adequate sinking
fund"
OF a reduction of the salary roll Of
the government, amounting to about
Sc, 500, 900 annually, two thirds. tbs
President declared, would be saved by
adopting his scheme to classify what
are not Presidential appointments.
Almost $3,000,000 annually could be
kept in government Golfers through
postoffice department changes. The
sum of $2,000,000 would be cut from
the payroll, Mr.. Taft continued il
there were n complete executive re
classification of civil service en-
ployees. Under this head the Presi
dent wrote
I'm 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 car
rying great responsibility and the
success of whose performance de-
ponds on training and long expert
ence. are inadequately paid. From
view-p point of the rank and file there
is little hope of reward for merit.
The foundation for Redistribution of
salaries already has been laid. In
my opinion it would enable the gov
eminent to pay higher salaries 10
those of whom experience. training
and initiative are required and make
the saving of $2.O00,000."
Elimination of waste in the dis
tribution of public documents; reduc.
ton of the number of United States
assay offices and possibly the number