Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-30
BUDGET SYSTEM
URGED IN PLACE OF
PORK BARREL .
Economic Expert Points Out
Its Advantages in Provid-
ing for Government Ex-
penditures.

PRINCETON, N. j.. Der. So.--A budget
system as a substitute for the approprla-
tions and pork barrel" system In vogue
I'm the United States was advocated today
by Harvey S. Chase in an address before
the American Economic Association and
the American Statistical Association, now
meeting at Princeton University
Doctor Chase, who has made study
OF questions relating TO standard sched-
uIes for uniform financial statements by
all nations advocated that committee
be appointed by the two associations for
the purpose of devising budget for the
United States OH the basis of the present
average Governmental expenditures. This,
he maintained would not only work for
economy in the end, but would eliminate
the vicious evils of the pork barrel
system.
Z PLANS FOR NATIONAL BUDGET.
Doctor Chase outlined his plan as
follows:
What are the fundamental functions
common to all, or nearly ALL the nations"
Evidently-we have the proof before US
War or National Defense Is one OF
them; the most important single function
Of them apparently. What Is another?
Evidently national indebtedness Is
another. To wit: Debts, sinking funds,
interest, all matters relating to national
debts, funded or floating Again, national
administration is universal in some
form. The functions of legislation, ex-
ecution administrative, and judicature
are everywhere present They can be
classified without serious difficulty; by
this I mean the higher administration
the overhead costs of national govern
ment.
80 far we have mentioned three large.
fundamental functions, each capable or
simple subdivisions of uniform and stand
ard character. With these three we snail
have covered much more than half, prob
ably three-quarters, or even more, OF the
total costs OF each national government
We may we'll be satisfied with these three
If II should prove impracticable TO au-
vance further this year. am convinced,
however, that we shall find that we can
advance quite a little further almost i'm
mediately. For instance, there are the
public service or public utility tunc-
tions, such as railroads, telegraphs, tele-
phones, mail service, and express service.
Also there is forest service and 'agri-
culture as we'll as commerce. and
various other functions which can be
classified In big subdivisions at least. and
which will be fairly comparable among
the nations"
LEGITIMATE EXPENDITURES.
Doctor Chase submitted. as an illustra-
kion of what the national budget of the
United States might be if drawn up on
the new plan, separate tables of expendi-
lures under the following items:
Expenditures for war or national de-
fense functions, including the army, navy,
War pensions and war debts; eXpendi-
lures for peace, social, civil and economic
functions expenditures for general gov
ernmental functions, and general sum-
mary of total estimates for the various
governmental functions. According to
the estimates the grand total for the
fiscal year 1915-1916 would be $1,000. .775, 1874.
For the fiscal year 1914-19l5 the budget
would be 81. .10S, ,6S1,7T7.