The sun., 1918-07-11
THE BUDGET SYSTEM.
Il. Fulton Cuttings Sensible Advice
to Republican Leaders In Congress.


A letter from R. Fulton Cutting TO the
NsuonA Republican consressionh Commit
GuNrLENHN: received your letter
Of appeal for q contribution to tho Re-
publican Congressional campaign and
enclose . check In response thor
oughly believe In the maintenance Of q
vigorous opposition party. but let me
say frankly. however. that in general
both your letter and the printed state
ment which accompanies It appeal to
me In very limited degree.
Both Of those papers are indefinite,
gaseous and illusory. The old specious
language that has characterised so
many rhetorical party appeals 10 very
much In evidence. The allusion TO the
necessity Of adopting Republican prin-
ciples for tho Industrial reconstruction
to take place after the war means. I
suppose. . return to the provisions Of
the Aldrioh-Payns tariff act. but the
phrasinS IL SufYioisntly ambiguous to
permit Of any amount Of lodging. What
do you really mean by "extravagsnt
methods must be eliminated and the
conduct Of the war brought down from
the visionary uncertainty TO q sound
economic basis"7
How do you propose to accomplish
this7 That 10 what we want to know.
Tell us plainly the measures that must
DO adopted TO attain this end. How
arc wo to ENSURE against waste. ex-
travagance and inefflciency"7 What we
want Is positive, concrete programme
Of constructive statesmanship. n policy
that admits of no ambiguity and can
be stated In language so lucid that there
can be no mistake about Its meaning.
lacking in inspiration.
In June, 1912. Mr.. Taft proposed to
Congress an executive budget. The
report of his Commission on Economy
and Efficiency disclosed In startling
analysis the criminal wastefulness Of
our system Of national appropriations
and the utter inability Of the electorate
to locate responsibility for misconduct.
The commission proposed remedies for
many OF the Anticipated and stupid
methods Of business management that
It's brief study had enabled It to dis
cover.
The Democratic majority in Congress
promptly choked this laudable effort by
cutting out all appropriations for the
commissions expenses and It's promis-
ing and Intelligent endeavor to promote
financial sagacity and honesty has never
since had any concerted advocacy In
Congress. Tho national Republican
platform In the Presidential election OF
1916 emphatically Endorsed Mr.. Tafts
proposal and the recommendations of
his commission.
Why 10 not this the most appropriate
time to reaffirm this declaration and
make this a real issue in the coming
Congressional campaign
Why should not the Republican party
come out squarely for an executive
budget?
Governors Milliken, Edge, Iowder
and Harrington are blazing the path
way In their respective States and
demonstrating the effectiveness OF 10.
eating responsibility for Official ex.
travagancs and dishonesty. Now lei
the Republican party come out cou.
raseously for this principle. which mus,
| ultimately be adopted II We are to deal
honestly with the taxpayer. 1t is time
we diverted our energies from the en-.
deavor to swell the public purse BY new
| expcd!ents In taxation to tho serious
effort to stop the holes through which
our resources leak out OF II.
1t Is my belief my dear sirs, that the
public is very tired Of the old time cam
paign rhetoric. 1t must have policies
presented to it In concrete and DEFINITE
shape. and 1t is my opinion that II the
Republican party does not seize the
| opportunity which Is now offered It to
declare in no uncertain terms for the
budget procedure which has beer
adopted by all civilized nations 1t will
not merit success at the polls next No.
| vember. In this crisis Of our nationa
life conservation OF our resources Is Tho
serious business OF the hour. but It viii
never be successfully practised as long
as our present system OF appropriation.
by Congressional committees obtains.
r FULTON CUTTING.
| NEW YORK July 10