Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-29
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN
OF The Star Staff.

I VI INC StuE StuAs
Y IKE Topsy, the method by
which the United States
government raises and
spends money "just grow
~ ed" AS new departments of
the government have been
| created they have come to have their
| share in the expenditures of the peo-
pies money, but without any regard
! to the whole expenditure. No "sys-
| tenn" exists in the scientific and
| economic meaning of the term. The
! method is a crazy quilt, in which
! each of the various pieces seeks to
! outshine all others.
| The consequence is that there is ex-
| travagance, waste and inefficiency
I when it comes to the expenditure by
the government of the money collect
| ed in taxes from the people. And this
waste is to continue until Congress
undertakes the establishment of
scientific national budget system. in
which all the expenditures of the
|'government for the year will be in
cluded, based on their relative impor-
| lance.
/ Never was there a time when such
a budget system was more sorely
| needed than at present. The country
| is faced with the need of paying off
billions of dollars of public debt due
to the war. Taxation must continue
heavy for thirty to fifty years, if this
| perpetual legacy to the future gen
erations This year, $6,0O0,0 100000 are
| to be raised in taxes, and another
large issue of bonds must be made to
| meet the war expenditures. perhaps
| $1,000. 900, 900 or $4,000, 100000.
| In 1920, under the war revenue bill
now pending, s4,000.000,000 are to be
collected in taxes. The republicans
insist that probably this will not be
| a sufficient amount. For years to
So, 500, 900, 900 to $4,000, O0O, 900 in taxes
J if the public debt is to be paid off and
the government is to be maintained
and operated on the scale required by
| this country.
With these figures in mind. it seems
little short of criminal that a scien-
tific system of expenditure and ac-
! counting has not already been adopted
! by this government.
Senator Kenyon's Resolution.
Senator Kenyon of Iowa. a champion
of the budget system, recently esti-
mated that about one-fifth of the ex-
Ipenditures Of the government is
wasted because of inefticiency and the
lack of system. With the expendi-
lures this fiscal year reaching into
the billions. it is easy to see what
would be saved it real budget SyS-
tenn were established.
Senator Kenyon, who has a reSo1u-
ton before the Senate providing for
the appointment of a commission to
report q plan for the adoption of a
national budget system, will press his
measure for passage as strongly as
he is able at the present session, and
il he fails to obtain action, at the
next session of Congress, when his
own party, the republicans, will be in
control Of both branches.
! He is by no means alone in the adj
vocacy of a national budget system
Chairman Sherley of the House appro-
priationS committee, a Kentucky dem
ocrat has favored the adoption of a
| system of that kind, and he is in
predecessor, former Representative
John ]. Fitzgerald of New York, time
and again recommended the adoption
of a budget system as the only means
by which to eliminate extravaganza
and waste in government expendi-
lures.
! Senator Kenyon's resolution pro-
| vides for commission consisting of
the Secretary of the Treasury and two
other government officials to be ap-
!pointed by the President, three SEN
ators and three representatives. This
commission is directed to report a
plan for a budget system by March
1, 1919.
The blame for the failure of this
government to establish a budget sys-
tenn Senator Kenyon places fatty upon
congress. President Taft strongly
urged the adoption of such a system,
but Congress did nothing. President
Wilson advocated budget system in
a letter to the late Senator Tillman of
South Carolina and in his address to
congress December 4, 1917.
The chief trouble, so far as Con-
lgress is concerned, it its jealousy of
the power to initiate and to increase
appropriations when it sees fit.
| Two Measures Necessary.
Two measures must be put in force
if there is to be an efficient national
budget system. They are:
, 1. A co-ordinated budget, or book OF
estimates, in which the necessary APP
preparations for the various branches
of the government are put forward
with relation to the Importance and
need of the government agencies.
2. The power of members of Con-
gress, both Senate and House, to
initiate expenditures of the public
moneys must be taken away, though
they should retain the power to re-
,duce or eliminate items in the national
budget proposed by the executive.
Under the present method a book OF
} estimates is presented to Congress at