Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-11-02
BUDGET SYSTEM
tcontInued0 from page one.)


pectiye revenues Of the government
2. It is provided that an alternative
budget shall be submitted that will
mint out the most merttorfous items,
should the congress see ut to withhold
appropriations for the larger budget.
REPORT E0TiMATES.
8. The bill provides that all depart
raents shall report their estimates to.
the president for the use of the bud
get bureau, that the secretary of the
revenues for each succeeding year to
the president that no estimate or re-
quest for appropriation. or recommen-
6ation for raising revenue shall be
made by an executive officer OF the
government to the congress. except
through the president, unless by the
request of one of the branches Of con-
gress.
4. Under the bill, the president may
make new estimates to congress:
First to meet expenses under new
laws. Second, to supplement prior es-
Inmates
s. Again, the bill provides for an
accounting department. The head of
this department is called the comp
troller general of the United States.
This officer will be named by the
president with the advice of the senate
and will hold his office during good
behavior.
with the creation of this office and
a force to work under him, the six au-
Gitor's offices that exist today under
tho treasury department wiz be abol-
ished.
ACCESS TO RECORDS.
Both the officers of the budget bu-
rcau and the accounting department
will have access to records, files and
offices of the several departments of
the government SO that they may ef-
ficiently perform their duties.
Representative Burton L. French OF
Idaho, who IL the only member of the
Idaho delegation. on this powerful
committee on appropriations. which
will assume SO much more Importance
Under the budget system, makes the
following comment on the bill:
Il am in favor of the measure because
'First, it will require the admins
tration that is in power to outline and
get behind whatever budget or ap-
preparation it is asking from congress
In that way, the people will hold the
administration responsible.
Second, an independent bureau of
the budget will be able to cut out the
overlapping of work and consequently
additional expense that exists in the
various government oepdf eAoheS W
day.
"Third, the system will provide that
the prospective revenues and advis-
able expenditures shall be set forth
az thought on one sheet of paper so
that a clear idea may be had Of rev.
enues and expenditures.
GIVES CLOSER CHECK.
Fourth, under the accounting de-
rartment, a closer check will be had
No Of ND n
accounting department will doubtless
he able to report to the administra-
ton leakage, waste, inefficiency, and
other similar matters that the admin
isiration should be advised of from
time to time"
THE popular notion is that congress
is the extravagant branch of the gov
eminent and that the executive is the
economic branch. However, exactly
the opposite is the truth.
"Omitting the last two years and
considering a period of 20 years prior
to that time, from 1896 to 1916, Con-
gress has refused to appropriate up
wards of half a billion dollars that diff
ferent administrations have urged and
in only two years of that entire per-
iod have the appropriations exceeded
the estimates of the departments.
zone of those>years was 1903 when
congress appropriated fifty million
dollars to build the Panama canal that
had not been estimated-and even that
year the appropriations of Congress
were less than twenty-five million in
excess of the estimates of the admin
istration. The other year when the ap-
preparations of congress exceeded the
estimates of the departments was in
1912, and that year the excess of ap-
preparations was less than 100000.
The main item of expenditure that
year for which the departments did
not make sufficient estimates but for
which congress did make appropria-
lions was eight million to the post Of