The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-05-08
THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1919.
NATIONAL BUDGET NEEDED.

When the new congress assemblies. it
Will have much business of an inter.
national flavor, pecially the senate
in connection with setting dis
turbed world straight But one of the
lessons and legacies bequeathed by the
war has a very distinct domestic appli-
cation,-a new edge given to what was
theoretically recognized but practically
neglected in peace times.
! That is the long standing need of a
national budget. Almost everybody
has approved the idea-save privately
perhaps, a few politicians who thought
they profted politically by the old or
der, or disorder other nations have had
intelligent budgets right along Tn,
latest has just been brought in by
the British/chancellor of the exchequer
We alone go hitor-mss, with authority
and responsibility hopelessly divided.
We are, of course, richer than the
other nations, or many of them put 10
/ d
TEN or lack of il that leads inevitably
to both confusion and extravaganza
We have spent billions, freely and has
tily. Now the day for defation ant
: reasonable retrenchment is here. On,
of the first requisites is fore know
ledge Of where and how to 90 about j
80 far as Uncle Sam 5 pocketbook i
| concerned
Political platforms have abstract,
endorsed the budget proposal, but dan
| ger is, as the Boston News Burea
! points out, that custom or conveniene
| may still sidetrack the reform 1t
/ not conventions but congress that mus
act,-and here congress must reforr
| itself The need therefore is for tn
Il business public-which pays the take
II and buys the bonds-to express itsel
in terms that will command congres
sonal attention
1 This latter development is happil
somewhat i'll prospect. Within the pas
Il few days Otto Kahn, in discussing III
: general need for thrift and defatioi
:. instanced scientific study of nation
II al finance as one of the first steps, say
II ing in part:
Il Congress must relcgate to the pas
H its haphazard methods of appropria
II ing through numberless committees
II all acting Independently and withol
Il .anv comprehensive picture of what al
II available revenues. Receipts and e,
II Lpenditures should be brought into ha
II mony and a complete budget prepare
II by 49, partisan experts who would r
II port to the President before the latt
II sends the budget to congress Co
gress should concentrate in few COZ
Il mittees the responsibility of passir
| upon and perfeeting such budget.
HI Likewise the National City bank q
II cular Of May observes: " Many cor
II mittees now play politics with the '
II rious appropriation requests submitt
II by the executive branch. The renee
II hes in one budget committee instead
II the dozen or so that now consider a
II preparation bills and in submission
II the President to congress of COZ
II plete comprehensive budget.
II Business in general should echo a
II emphasize these celebrations. No p
- yate business could stand the systt
II the public business struggles und
II No household could prosper if ever
II one in the family, instead of the hou
II wife did the ordering. Uncle San
II purse also needs intelligent regulate
Iii II is alleged that German pride