New-York tribune., 1918-01-02
Our Farcical Budget

out of Congress. May his missionary
work in behalf of a rational Federal bud
get be taken up by successor in the
inner circles of the House of Representa-
tives as Jealous as he was to bring about
intelligent and responsible control of
Federal expenditures
The present system of control is farci-
cal. The preparation and supervision of
appropriation bills are intrusted to
various committees of the House and Sen
ate, each one of which possesses indepen-
dent authority. There is no central ad-
lustment and accounting bureau. The
estimates come to Congress from the
many departments and bureaus of the
government without revision or coordina-
ton on the part of the Executive. The
House committees wrestle with these
;lgures-as q rule reducing them mate
rally. Then the Senate committees make
restorations on liberal scale and the diff
ierences between the two houses are
settled in conference committee.
The inevitable results of the system are
maladjustment and waste. Senator AID
rlch once said in a moment of calculated
'andor that the waste on government
appropriations was about 80 per cent
He knew what he was talking about,
and it is to his credit that he tried
to secure q stricter control Of appropria-
tions by creating a committee of commit
tees IN the Senate, on which. the chairmen
of all the money voting committees should
serve and through which they might CO.
i,,b bol
proper limits The time was not ripe,
however, for Mr.. Aldrichs experiment.
His committee on committees was dis
banded after a short career of sterlity
and futility.
The peculiarities of our system of gov
ernment by checks and balances have made
1t difficult for US to conform our budget
practice to the model adopted by other
nations. The preparation of a budget is,
normally, an executive function. The
executive branch, which is going to spend
the money, ought to be held responsible
for the total of national expenditure, as
well as for the manner in which that
total is used. Under parliamentary
form Of government this principle is easy
of application, since the parliament
creates the Executive and in approving
budget merely ratities the judgment of the
leaders Of the majority, who compose the
Cabinet. Our system of separation of
powers has been pushed to the extreme of
requiring Congress to fix both the amount
and all the details Of expenditure, thus
relieving the Executive from responsibility
for wasteful appropriations and for fail
TIRE to keep expenditure within the limits
of income. Under an ideal budget system
the legislative branch is not permitted to
take the initiative in proposing expendi-
turc. 1t merely criticises, and either ap-
groves or rejects budget submitted to it,
It's chief duty is to see that the money
which it grants is properly used. Under
cur system the only check on expenditure
is the Controller of the Treasury, an ex-
ccutive officer appointed by the President.
We cannot introduce a normal budget
system in this country without materially
altering the existing relations between
Congress- and the Executive 1t is DOS
sible, of course for Congress to pass laws
requiring the estimates to be submitted
IN dlgested form, with the approval of
the President. One appropriation meas
ure might cover all the estimates. Con
gress might also deny itself the power to
alter items therein or to introduce new
items. 1t might further admit heads of
departments to the floors of the House and
Senate, to face criticism and defend the
estimates. But such a change would be
Ear from agreeable to most Congressmen
since they would thereby lose a power and
personal prestige which are exceedingly
grateful to them.
SO radical reform could not be effected
this year, or even next year. The only
hope for the present of more efficient con-
troll of expenditure hes therefore, in the
smplication Of the existing machinery
This can be accomplished without a pro-
hibitive amount of friction by returning
to the ancient practice of control of all
appropriations by single committee.
Up to 1865 the Ways and Means Com
mittee of the House had entire charge of
appropriations 1t also had charge of
revenue legislation, banking and currency
and various related subjects. These bur
Gens grew too heavy for one committee to
carry and fhaddeus Stevens, the House
leader, decided to create an appropria-
tions committee and to put himself at its
head The power of the new committee
over appropriations was unchallenged un-
til 1880, when the log rollers Of the Rivers