The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-13
AWARD CONTRACTS
 FOR CONSTRUCTION OF TORPEDO BOATS
Two Companies to Build Two Ships Each and Two to Build One-Daniels
 Issues Statement

Washington, December 12.-Secretafy Daniels awarded contracts today for the construction of the six torpedo boat de- | stroyers authorized by the last naval ap- propriation bill as follows: Fore River l Shipbuilding company. two ships, s7950OO each; Bath Iron works. two snips $SO0000 each; Cramp Shipbuilding company, one ship $S2O00o
 | The sixth ship will be constructed at the Mare Island navy yard. It will be the first destroyed built in a government yard
 The appropriation bill limited the amount to be paid for each destroyer to s925,o00, but made no provision for more than six vessels. Money saxed in today's award may not be used for addi- t!onal construction. must he turned back to the treasury.
 Makes Statement
 In this connection MT Daniels issued this statements
 If the appropriation bill had allowed the construction of six or more destroy CTS for the amount authorized. it would have been possible for the Secretary of the Navy to order seven destroyers in stead of six and keep. within the appro- priation. Secretary Daniels will ask Con- eress to appropriate for destroyers this year as it for did for submarines last year, when it made the appropriation read, Eight or more submarines for a given sum- '
 New York, December 12.-Forner Presi- dent William H. Taft, guest at luncheon today atJthe Lawyers club, spoke on ef- ficiency and economy in the national gov- ernment and advocated budget sys- ten;.
 All countries that have respectable governments, except our own, have bud gets,' he said We have acted Ike children. We have had so much money available through taxation that we have not been obliged to consult the revenue side of the ledger Now we are com ing to the point where me must be keep out of bankruptcy. These three things are the great instrumentalities that ought to be created.
 First, machinery of the reorganiza- ton of the executives departments of the government, so as to eliminate dupli- cations and overlaps;
 
 to the President, to report to him com parative statement of economy ana ef- ficiency in each department and
 Third, plan for bringing the execu- tive and legislative departments closer together and the preparation of an an- nua budget upon which Congress can intelligently act.
 Urges Co-Operation 'The cooperation of the executive and legislative branches can be best effected by carrying out recommendations to Con gress made in one of my last messages, that the heads of departments appear on the floor of each House to answer questions; to take part in the discussion, to introduce bills and through the Secre- tary of the Treasury to present the bud get for which the executive departments with the President at the head, and his cabinet behind him, become responsible?
 With the opportunity of the Secretary of the Treasury and the other cabinet officers to appear on the floor in pre- sentation of the budget d mean will be offered for an intellgible discussion, and if Congress chooses to ignore the recom- menda dations of the executive, then the re- sponsibiity will be that of Congress. In the presentation which the executive makes, the whole field of government expenditures will be covered arid the whole field of government income.