Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-02-27
TAFTS MESSAGE A
 BUDGET AFFAIR For First Time in History of Government One is Pre-
 sented to Congress.
HE URGES ECONOMY
Gross CarelesSneSs is Charged cusScS the Governments
 Finances.

! Washington, Feb. 2G.--For the first time in the history of the American government q budget message was executive of the United States when President Taft today sent to the Sen ate and the House of Representatives a statement. in budget form, on the financial conditions of the various governmental departments, together with certain recommendations and es. inmates on revenues and expenditures. This departure from precedent, the President said, was actuated by exper- fence and common sense, and was supported 'fby the judgment and ex- perience that has obtained in the management of corporate bodies, both public and private in which the eX- ecutive head annually sets forth what has been done during the past year and what it is proposed that the cor poration shall do during the next I year..
 1 Though President Taft did not charge directly that this failure, for more than century to issue a bud get from the White House, had caus- ed a waste of the public's money, he at least charged gross carelessness when he said that this government, with expenditures of "more than one thousand million dollars each year . may be said "to be without a plan or program as to it's Finances.
 The president said that the advan- tage to Congress of budget submit ted by the irresponsible head of the administration, must be apparent, in asmuch as it would greatly facilitate the work of that body in making ap- propriations.
 After reviewing, with tables of sta tistics, the various departments of the financial side of the government, the
 President concluded his message with a number of recommendations.
 He repeated his previous recom-
 men1ation to effect an economy by
 putting postmasters upon the classifi-
 ed list, declaring that the result
 would be a saving of $4,512,O00.
 Sinking Fund Act Dead.
 The sinking fund act, he said, had
 "become a dead letter." and should
 be revised.
 | A recommendation, that he dealt at
 length with, was that "the Govern ment at Washington should be housed
 in public buildings which should be built in such manner as to conform
 to a general plan of public buildings for the Government within the city"
 and he proposed that it would be well
 to spend from $15,OOO,00O to $20,OOO,-
 within the next two years to carry
 out the program. The saving in rent
 now being paid to the District of
 Columbia, which would be affected by such a program, the President said
 would warrant the investment of s10o,ooo,OOO.
 The President proposed that bonds
 should be issued and money borrowed
 thereon for the Governments land purchases, buildings and public works
 with the cost proportioned over a , period of twenty years, and with the bonds payable out of sinking fund.
 In order that the government might
 be more efficiently administered the
 President recommended that bureau of administrative control should be established, which would really be consolidation of the six auditors of fees and the Comptroller of the cur rency and the other central account ing offices, into one executive bureau Endorsement was given to the pro- position of certain Congressman that a budget committee should be estab' lished as final clearing house. Following are some of the Presi' \ dents most important recommenda- ! tions. On the sinking fund, he said q recommend that the present law he amended so as to adapt the annua < charge against the revenues to the ac tual requirements and that the book balance be cancelled To provide golt with which to retire the greenbacks 1'I recommend that authority be giveI