The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-08
GOVERNMENT ECONOMY
IS VERY IMPERATIVE.
Urges Systematic Reorganization &
Gain 0reater Efficiency.

Before I close may l say a few
words upon two topics much discussed
out Of doors upon which it is highly
important that our judgments should
be clear, definite and steadfast?
One Of these is economy in govern
ment expenditures. The duty Of econ
omy is not debatable. 1t is manifest
and imperative. In the appropriations
we pass we are spending the money
Of the great people whose servants we
are-not our own We are trustees and
responsible stewards in the spending
The only thing debatable and upon
which we should be careful to make
our thought and purpose clear is the
kind Of economy demanded Of us. l
assert with the greatest confidence
that the people of the United States
are not jealous Of the amount their
government costs If they are sure that
they get what they need and desire for
the outlay, that the money Is being
spent for objects of which they ap-
prove and that 1t is being applied with
good business sense and management
Governments grow piecemeal both
in their tasks and in the means by
which those tasks are to be performed,
and very few governments are organ
lied, venture to say, as wise and ex-
perienced business men would organize
them If they had a clean sheet Of paper
to write upon. Certainly the govern
ment Of the United States is not l
think that it is generally agreed that
there should be systematic reorgani-
zation and reassembling Of its parts
SO as to secure greater efficiency and
effect considerable savings in expense.
But the amount of money saved in that
way would, believe, though no doubt
considerable In itself, running, 1t may
be, into the millions, be relatively
small-small, mean. in proportion to
the total necessary OUTLAWS Of the gov
eminent. It would be thoroughly
worth eftecting, as every saving would.
great or small.
Our duty is not altered by the scale
of the saving. But my point IL that
the people of the United States do not
wish to curtafl the activities Of this
government. They wish. rather. to en-
large them. and with every enlarge
ment, with the mere growth. indeed.
Of the country itself. there must come,
of course, the inevitable increase Of ex-
pense. The sort Of economy we ought
to practice may be effected, and ought
to be effected, by a careful study and
assessment of the tasks to be per-
formed. and the money spent ought to
be made to yield the best possible re-
turns in efficiency and achievement
And, like good stewards. we should SO
account for every dollar Of our appro-
priations as to make it perfectly evil
dent what it was spent for and in
what way 1t was spent.
1t is not expenditure but extrava-
gance that we should fear being criti-
cised for. not paying for the legiti-
mate enterprises and undertakings of
a great government whose people COM
mand what it should do. but adding
what will benefit only q few or pour
ing money out for what need not have
been undertaken at all or might have
been postponed or better and more
economically conceived and carried
out The nation is not niggardly: it is
very generous. It win chide US only
If we forget for whom we pay money
out and whose money it is we pay.
These are large and general standards,
but they are not very difficult Of appli-
cation to particular cases