Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-08
GOVERNMENT ECONOMY
IS VERY IMPERATIVE.
Urges Systematic Reorganization to
Gain Greater Efficiency.

Gain Greater EmetonSy.
Before close may l say rev
words upon two topics much discussed
out OF doors upon which tt 10 highly
important that our judgments should
be clear, definite and steadfast?
One of these il economy In govern
ment expenditures. The duty OF econ
omy Is not debatable 1t Is manifest
and imperative. Ia the appropriations
we pass we are spending the money
Of the great people whose servants We
nre-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.
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 APP
prove and that Ii Is being applied with
good business sense and management.
Governments grow piecemeal both
in their tasks and in tie means by
which those tasks are to be performed.
and very few governments are organ
led ! venture to say, rs wise and ex-
perieDced business men would organize
them if they had a clean sheet OF paper
10 write upon. Certainly the govern
ment of the United States is not.
think that it is generally agreed that
there should be IL systematic reorgani-
zation and reaSsembling Of its parts
so as to secure greater efficiency and
effect considerable savings in expense
Bat the arnoant of money saved in that
way won.d. | believe though no doubt
considerable in itself. running, it may
be. into the millions. be relatively
small-sma.l. mean. in proportion to
the total necessary outlays OF the gov
ernment. 1t would be thoroughly
worth effec,irg. as every saving would,
great or small
Our duty is not altered by the scale
OF the saving. But my point Is that
the people OF the United States do not
wish to curtail the activities OF this
government. They wish. rather. TO en-
large ,.eni. and Win 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 80
account for every dollar OF our appro-
priations as to make II perfectly EVIL
dent what 1t was spent for and In
what way it was spent.
It Is not expenditure but extrava-
gance that we shonld fear being crtd-
cised for. not paying for the legid-
mate enterprises and undertakings of
q great government whose people COM
mand what It should do. but adding
what VIII benefi. only 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; il is
very generous. twill chide us only
if we forget for whom we pay money
out and whose money 1t Is we pay.
These are large and general standards.
but they are net very difficult of appii-
cation to particulaE cases.