The Detroit times., 1914-12-04
Best Method of Handling Ma
tons Finances, Former Presi-
dent Tells Bankers
APPROPRIATION PLAN
CALLED "HORRIBLE MESS"
SAYS Millions Could be Saved
Yearly by Use of Business
Principles

system or the United states Is .
horrible mess" and asserting that d
mere surface investigation had re
vealed the fact that at least $4,000
600 could be saved without sacrifice
OF efficiency in the conduct OF the va
rious Washington departments, vii
liam Howard. Taft, former president
OF the United States, made an effec
tive plea for the adoption of a IA
tional budget system for the In
telligent disbursement OF the public
moneys in his speech before the De
troit Bankers club, at It's annual din
ner in the Pontchartrain hotel, Wed
nesday night.
Although Mr.. Taft launched few
good-natured shafts al the Jefferson
ian government which is advocating
extension OF federal control on
scale OF which Alexander Hamilton
never dreamed his speech was large
ly non-partisan. He freely admitted
that neither party has been exempt
from pork barrel legislation" when
in power.
The currency law be Endorsed, ex
pressing his qualification that some
thing has at last been done looking
toward the placing OF the banking
business OF the country on sane and
reasonable basis.
Although the banqueters were pro
vided with a choice selection OF wines
Mr.. Taft set temperate example by
turning his glass. Many followed his
lead
Economy and efficiency in govern.
ment,' was the subject OF Mr.. Tafts
address. Most OF his talk was de
voted to a resume OF the work OF the
economy commission headed by Fred,
erick A. Cleveland, who he appoint
ed while president TO make "a report
on the efficiency OF the various gov
ernmental departments. IN this con
nection Mr.. Taft said:
have not time to go into the
many reports which were filed by this
There were more than
100 in number. Thirty-six OF them
were for recommendation which
could be carried out by executive or.
ders, and 81 executive orders were is.
sued TO carry them out. Some 20 we're
made recommending legislative action
and only one was followed, and that
such limitation as to de-
feat the object OF the recommendation.
The rest OF the reports were merely
for the information OF congress as
TO future recommends.
tons. The executive orders saved
some 100000 or $4,000 900 annually
The cost Of the commission was $685..
900. | advised the commission 70
make special reports In various
bureaus and departments just 10 illus.
trate how the introduction OF modern
methods could effect real economics
80 upon investigation they recon-
the union OF the live saving
service, OF the deep sea rescue work,
and OF the lighthouse service, by
which union. without interfering with
he efficiency. a million dollars could
De saved annually. After examining
he revenue marine and the duty that
{ had TO perform, and familiarizing
themselves with the navy department,
hey recommended that the duties OF
he revenue marine be discharged by
naval vessels. thus saving annually
some $2,000.e00. They examined the
question OF the cost OF carrying pub
ic documents published IN the city
of Washington, and pointed out that
by the concentration In one depart
nent Of this distribution, in a place
near where they were to be delivered
% the railroads, s250.000 annually
.ould be saved. They showed that In
he mere matter Of using window en-
gelopes In the government service IN
$685. 900 could be waved !;
hat by copying by photography. $780,
700 could be saved; that in Khe hand
ing OF the correspondence in the
,ffioe Of the war department, $4,000
could be saved. II needed
'oms legislation 10 do most OF these
Kings before they could be done.
They further recommended an Inn
in the civil service which
affected those local Offices, postmas-
ers, collectors OF internal revenue,
collectors OF customs and other local
federal Offices distributed all over the
The law now provides that
hey shall be appointed by and with
he consent OF the senate II the law
we're 10 be changed. and the consent
q the senate made unnecessary, and
he president were 10 put the Offices
N the classified service, the commits.
sion reported that II would be possible
to abolish the chief place in ell OF
these Offices and TO run the Offices
more economically and more efficient
ly by the present assistants than they
are now run by the present political
chiefs; that II the salaries OF the as.
were Increased 20 per cent
there would be saving OF $4,000, 600
annually 10 the government.
They made a report showing tina,
IL a wider discretion was given "a
the heads OF departments in the class
ification OF employees by appropriatlns
a lump sum instead OF fixing the mum
Der OF second-class and third.clas.
clerks, the total cost in each bureau
could be reduced 20 per cent and NOR,
efficient service rendered. and tha
this would involve a saving OF $1,000,
900 annually.
I'm other words, in the special OK
animation which they made. the com
reported that they could pu
their fingers without difficulty on {
saving OF $S,000.000 annually, and thai
with having examined but a small per
eentage OF the bureaus and depart
ments In other words, they said thai
hey had only scratched the surface
"1he great thing which has been
lacking In our political system" con
tinued the speaker. "has been the
for constructive planning
)f governmental expenditure and gov,
revenue, under a system Of
leadership. That Is What
A governmtnt budget means. We APP
propriate each year, through commit.
tees In congress. about one thousand
million dollars. This is done without
any consistent plan or purpose. The