The Washington herald., 1913-02-27
TAFT ASKS FOR
BUDGET PLAN
President Sends Message to
Congress Enumerating Ad-
vantages Of New System.
PRESENT METHODS LOOSE
The Expenditure of $40, 100000 for
Buildings in This City
Recommended.
PRESENT METHODS LOOSE

! For the first time In the history of the
American Government a budget message
was submitted to Congress by the chief
executive of the United States when
| President Taft yesterday sent to the Sem
ate and the House of Representatives a
statement, in budget form, on the finan-
cial conditions of the various govern
mental departments together with GER
| tain recommendations and estimates on
revenues and expenditures.
This departure from precedent, the
President said. was actuated by eXpe-
rience and common sense and was sup
ported by the Judgment and expert
ence that has obtained in the manage
ment of corporate bodies. both public
and private In which the executive
| head annually sets forth "what has been
done during the past year and what it
is proposed that the corporations shan
do during the next year
Though President Taft did not charge
directly that this failure. for more than
r century to issue a budget from the
White House, had caused a waste of
the publicS money, he at least charged
gross careessness when he said that
this government with expenditures of
more than one thousand millions dol
lars each year" may be said TO be
without plan or program a. to its
finances.
7 The President said that the advantage
to Congress of a budget submitted by
the responsible head Of the admins
tration.'' must be apparent. inasmuch as
it would greatly facilitate the work of
that body in making appropriations
After reviewing. with tables of stats
tics. the various departments of the
financial sid" Of the government the
President concluded his message with Il
number of recommendations.
lie repeated his previous rccomnienda-
tion Ia effect an economy by putting
postmasters upon the classified list, de
CiarinE the result would he a saving Of
si.Jl20o.
The sinking fund act. he said had he
'me a dead letter and should he re
vised
\ recommendation that he dealt at
length with was that the government
at Washington should be housed in pub
lie buildings which should be built in
such manner as to conform to a general
plan of public buildings for the govern
m"nt within the city" and he proposed
that it would be we'll to spend from SIS
10000 to s20.N0,0O0 within the next two
Years to carry out the programme. The
saving in rent now being paid to the
District of Columbia, which would be
affected by such programme the Presi-
dent said. would warrant the investment
OF s100 ,GO0
The President proposed that bonds
should be issued and money borrowed
thereon for the governments land pur-
chases, buildings and public works. with
the cost proportioned over a period of
twenty years. and with the bonds pay
able out of sinking fund.
In order that the government might
he more efficiently administered the
President recommended that a bureau of
administrative control should be estab-
lisheI. which would really be a Consoh- |
dation OF the six auditors offices and
the Comptroller Of the Currency and the
other central accounting offices into one
executive bureau
Endorsement was given to the proDosi- |
ton of certain Congressman that a bud
get committee should be established az
a final clearing house.