Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-06-24
&c. 0. P. TO GUT
NATIONAL 0UTG0
BILLION AND ONE HALF IN Elk
PENpITURes cuRTAlLMENT
PLANNED BY REPUBLICANS.
CONGRESS TO EFFECT
TREMENDOUS SAVING
Good Work Has Only Just Begun
Senator Curtis Tells Of Difficulties
Encountered and Fine Results Al
ready Achieved Departments
Overmanned by Democrats.


Overmanned by Democrats.
Washington June 2i.-The regular
session of congress. which will meet
next December. will ne marked by ef-
forts on the part of all the committees
of the house and senate which have
charge OF appropriations t. effect far
reaching economies in the admlnistra-
ton Of the government. Difficult as
will be the achievement of this task
leaders of the house and senate de-
clare they expect to accomplish 1t.
Such Investigations as they have been
able to make while considering appro-
priation bills in the past month have
convinced them that there is room for
economy in great many directions
and this without impairins the effici-
ency of the various departments and
agencies OF the government,
The consideration of the -appropri-
alton bills at this session, bearing in
mind the necessity OF passing them
II possible before July !, has been al
together too hurried to make rCduc-
tons on as thorough a scale as they
admittedly ought 20 be made. In spite
of this fact the preSen. indications ara
that when all of the supp? bills are
grounded up and put on the statute
books they will show a saving Of APP
proximately $500. Uh0 coo. "
Vast as this saving is. every eN-
pert in approximations In congress
Is perfectly aware that much Ereat-
er saving would be possible II tim"
permitted the committees ~ 90 thru
supply measures with microscope.
It is a striking testimonial tn the eS-
trava giant tendencies of executive Of
ficials that il has been poss: bic as re-
suit of committee Investigations into
estimates Of a very brief character tod
effect savings as great as saNe been
effected.
Senator Curtis View.
Senator Curtis. Of Kansas. repub-
lican whip OF the senate. and a MEM
Der of the senate apI ropriations
committee, who has given many
years of thought and analysis to ap-
preparation bills. talked today about
the situation with respect to the ex-
penditures.
Senator Curtis said: "All the ind
cations now are that congress will
succeed in passing the needed APP
preparation bills by the first OF July.
Three deficiency bills. including the
railroad deficiency bill, have been
passed by both houses. Both houses
have also passed the District of COL
umbia bill. the agricultural bill> and
the Indian bill. The hcEse, moreover
has disposed of the army. navy and
sundry civil bills. Those three bills
will be passed blythe senate ana dis,
posed of in conference by the end OF
the month and this will complete the
list of supply bills which congress is
required to pass before the fiscal year
opens.
ut is not possible to give an ac-
curate figure on. the savings which
have been made in these appropria-
tons. 1t is evident. however. that 1t
is at least $500 100000 AND it may
exceed that This I regard as an
admirable record in view OF the short
time which was allowed the commit
tees and the two houses to go over
the estimates and make up the bills.
while important economics have
been brought about at THE session.
what has been done recently SHOULD
not be taken as indicating what Will
be accomplished in the future. In
order TO get the bills thru bX the first
of July haste has been necessary. Had
more time been allowed and fuller
study of the estimates and the neeas
Nof the departments been possible there
is no question that much. more couid
have been saved to the public.
Greater Reductions Coming.
"In the coming regular session inc
conditions will be different. The
new congress will then have an "p-
portunity to handle all OF the supply
bills. It must be remembered that
number of the appropriations TOT
the coming fiscal year We're made N
the last session Of congress and the
new congress. therefore. has had no
opportunity to reach these appropri-
atoms. Next winter the committees
will take up~the estimates at the OUT
set of the session and Will go over
them with fine tooth comb. III that
is done-and I have every reason TO
believe Il will be--a still better snow
Ing OF economy will be made. what Is
more. I believe It can be made without
any sacrifice of efficiency"
Senator Curtis also called attention
to the fact that in passing the appro-
prfation bills this session efforts had
been made in number Of instances.
and successfully, to do away with
lump sum appropriations and in their
places to substitute specific amounts.
The fagrant abuses which have arisen
for years, because heads OF depart
ments or chiefs Of bureaus have been
granted discretion to use lump sum
appropriations as they saw fit are well
understood by every man in congress
and out Of 1t who has given any seri-
Gus attention to public expenditures.
Experience has demonstrated that
congress will get little help II any
from the executive end Of the gov.
eminent when it comes 70 trying TO.
save money. The history of the esti-
mates Of the departments for the last
six years Is conclusive on that point.
even emitting from consideration the
period during which America was at
war with Germany. Congrefs has come
to the conclusion-at least that part
Of congress which Is chiefly respon-
sibIe for expenditures-that the varl-
GUS departments and bureaus will re-
duce their forces and cut down their
expenses exactly and precisely 70 the
point where they are absolutely COM
PEELED to do ~ by law and no farther.
Moreover there Is a feeling that the
ataudards of efYiciency in tine depart