Evening star., 1919-10-04
TAFT
URGESU. S. BUDGET
Appears Before House Spe-
ciaI Committee Considering
Changes in Fiscal Affairs. ;.
WAR COSTS RAISE POINT

Enormous war expen niitures have
forced the attention of Congress to
the question of adopting a budget,
former President Taft today told the
House special committee investigat-
ing proposed changes in government
Eeczi ana ars Repressntatfse Mon
dell. Wyoming, republican floor lead
er. also urged adoption Of budget.
Secretary Glass Of the Treasury was
to be the dnal witness before the com.
mittee today. Representative Good,
Iowa. chairman OF the budget COM
mittee. announced that he expected
the. committee to submit a report to
the House next week.
Former President Taft said:
All Great Nations Have Budget.
Every great nation, except the
United States. has a budget and could
not live without one. The United
States has been able to live without
one because its revenues have been
SO large that little need was felt for
economy. The consciousness that If
the revenues were not sufficient new
never been touched before gave an
unsafe sense of freedom to the ex-
ecutive and legislative branches of
the government in the matter of ex-
penditures. 1t is true that the issue
OF extravaganza was always more or
less subject Of controversy between
the outs" and "the ins." but the ar
guments were generally not directed
to totals or to comprehensive view
OF the debit side, but only to certain
items which might attract popular
attention and be made the subject of
political attack. In the states it has
been somewhat different The states
the necessity for economy to meet
their expenditures with any reason
able, amount of taxation and thev
have been driven to the budget. The
necessary enormous expenditure for
the war. with the heavy taxation
required oy 1t, have now forced the
attention of Congress to the same
subject.
puoget is prospectus of govern
ment business for the year It involves
statement of the government in
come; CO nronoses either permanent and regular
which the proposed additions to in
come are to be secured. The other
SIDE OF. the recommendation is the
estimate OF what it will take to run
DfOVldeQ
shall be run. and to achieve such fnr.
ther objects as the proposers Of the
budget deem proper to include in gov.
ernment activities for that year.
;nt tsT; nHw no government budget can be
/ lnteHigently made unless the makers
OF " nave accurate information as to
Wnat the government is. There is now
| N existence no comprehensive me
tnoolcal statement by any one, official
or otherwise, Of what our government
consists.
Favors Mr.. Goods Bill.
II concur in the provision for nm
| executive budget contained in the hill
OF chairman Good. l believe that a
ppuoget ought to be prepared by that
DLancn OF the government which lis
! charged with the duty of carrying it
on In an executive way The executives
Dranch is the one most familiar with
| the actual machinery of government
and therefore. best able to tell how
mach mach,ney money is needed to keep that
! IT is of the utmost Importance
that the authority which is to prepare
tne budget shall have sufficient power
ana ana prestige to bend to his judgment
speno that all, bureau chiefs and
neads OF departments develop. I am
NOT criticising the heads of depart
men5s me disor. or bureau chiefs for this natu-
portion is always affected by the par
ocular work for which he is respons-
iple and in which his energies are
absorbed. and he isn't in a position
where he is running one department
to pass iudicially on the Comparative
Importance OF the claims for money
support made by all the department
heads and their bureau chiefs More
over. the President is the only power
| In the executive whose word will go
! without dispute through the execu-
! tive departments, and he is the only
person who can take up the questions
as between departments, and prune
| their claims with the advantage of q
survey of the whole government.
President Must Have Help.
"Of course. the President cannot dc
this alone. II he is to be charged
with the duty. he must have q stan
competent to do q great deal Of the
work for him. and to submit to him
Questions OF difference where differ-
ences arise between his budget stafI
and tho various departments and bu-
raus. He has the responsibility for
carrying on the government and 500
aoosanaed % Eighth Pasel