The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-05-19
PENNY-WISE POLICY

washington, May -(opeclall- -
The penny-wise and pound-foolish pol
icy of an administration that saves at
the spigot and wastes at the bun2 hole
was illustrated again last week when
the treasury department made an or
der placing 1000 janitors. char-wom-
en- and similar employees on an eight
day furlough in order to save a small
portion of their already small pit
lance. Thus the democratic pledge of
economy has the beginning of its
fultillment. After apprOpriating large
sums for new offices and commissions,
and urging the appropriation of many
millions for dangerous ship pur-
chase scheme, and finding positions for
sons and sons.in-law of members OF
the cabinet, the first step in economy
is undertaken by cutting the compen-
sation of the hardest worked and
poorest paid OF all the hundreds OF
thousands of government employees.
The order which has been made APP
plies to every federal public Building
in the United States, for the care OF
all OF which $2,G50OO0 is approprlat-
ed. The burden OF the saving that the
administration proposes to effect falls
upon those who perform the service OF
sweeping, scrubbing, cleaning cuspi-
doris. etc.
Naturally, the Inauguration OF this
discriminating and unfair scheme OF
economy has aroused a storm OF criti-
cism against the administration. The
policy is particularly condemned be-
cause the administration has been eX-
travagant in so many other respects
where economy could have been prac-
ticed without detriment to the public
service and without injury to indi-
vidnals. For example, in numerous
Instances where the last administra-
ton had employed special counsel to
conduct litigation in various parts OF
the United States, the present admin
istraton, without any charge OF inef,
ficiency, dismissed the attorneys who
were conducting the cases and en-
ployed other attorneys who would nee
essarily have to study the facts and
tamiliarize themselves with the law
such attorneys being employed in some
instances at higher salaries than the
experienced men were receiving and
without any apparent reason for the
change, other than that the newly EN-
ployed ones were deserving demo
Gratis
Other men have been appointed to
high salaried positions in the govern
ment service with no apparent specia!
qualification other than their relation
ship to the secretary of the treasury
the secretary of state and the secre-
tary of the navy. Instead OF practic-
ing economy by saving the money paid
to these officials, the administration
chose to- make its first move for the
fulfillment of it's economy plan by TAX
ing tribute from the poorest paid pub
lie servants, who are frequently men
and women OF advanced age and in
dire need of all the compensation they
receive.
This act of the treasury department
has served a valuable end. however,
by calling public attention once more
to the violation of the economy pledge
This subject received wide discussion
at the close of the last session OF con
aress when the democratic. chairman
of the house committee on appropria'
lions condemned his own partys for its
extravaganza and showed that the ex-
cess of expenditures was due chiefly
to the executive departments which
had urged appropriations $113,O0O,OOO
in excess OF the amount congress ap-
propriated.
This incident has also served a fur,
Their good end by forestalling the eft,
fort to set aside all other issues and
secure public approval OF the Wilson
administration on the ground that it
has not embroiled the United States
in European war. The effort to win
public appreciation because OF errors
the administration does not commit
will fail because OF its own acts which
keep before the public it's mistakes OF
a positive and affirmative nature.