Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-10
BUDGET SYSTEM IS FAVORED
BY EX-SECRETARY CORTELYOC
Methods of Conducting Business of Gov.
eminent Described as Unbusiness-
, like and Unsystematic.

revise these estimates to conform Z
the national receipts.
Nor Is there any single committe
charged with the comparison and CO
ordination OF the appropriations 70
the various branches OF public sery
ice in order to distribute eQuitabi,
any reduction or increases which ma,
be warranted by the total income
the United States. >
Secretary of Treasury's Power.
The Secretary of the Treasury oc
cupies by law a relation to Coneres
which in many respects Is one of NOR,
direct responsibility than that of thu
heads Of the other, departments. It |;
declared by a statute which has no
been repealed that the Secretary o.
the Treasury "shall report and give in:
formation to either branch Of the leg
islature in person or by writing, az.
may be required. respecting all mat
ters referred to him by the Senate o.
House Of Representatives, or which
shall appertain to his ONCE" :.
In spite Of this concise statutorr
provision, the Secretary of the Treas
ury is little more than a figure-heass
to the extent that he can not lower
by as much as penny any of tn,
items in appropriation bills submitted
to him by department heads. He sim
transmitting all estimates from thu
departments. to the Speaker of the
House.
There is no special inducement for
department heads to keep down .estf
mates for the fiscal year. Each de
partmef is anxious to make goot.
showing for itself and is also anxiout'
to be allowed considerable .leeway il,
money matters. The result is fthss
many bureau chiefs gauge their Sesti
mates by what they think CongreSs
will stand for. They know full ,xel'
tfint on general principles the Hountl
COMMITTEES on appropriations will~maks.
substantial cuts in all requests
As a result of, frequent delays i'm.
portant money bills are often passeG
during the waning hours Of the 'lAgfs
lative term. They are rushed, throust,
without proper consideration-Withh Its
tie or no time to delete uncalled-f0s
items of expense. -. Il
During my tenure of ONCE. l sus
gested that 1t might be competen
for Congress to appoint a joint COM
mittee to revise. Departmental eata.
mates 50 that they might be pressntts
to Congress Cons properly c o., tannt
income as a whole. The present out
look is toward the adoption Of a ma,
tionaI budget system under which In,
come and outgo will be adjusted will
al roast sumo ueBfcc VI cA~cSuSSS- ,
Duties Of Adjusting Bureau. ,
L believe that the adjusting bureau
commission or organisation which
regulates estimates should be respon..
sible to. or at least work in close co
operation with, the Secretary. OF ths
Treasury. for he Is the finance oimcei
Of the United States and should an.
swer to the people for q fair and equi.i
table distribution Of departments.
appropriations.
Coordination of the admfnistrativ,
departments Of government should
stead Of distributing money bflii
among fourteen separate committee,
In the House and fifteen in the Senate
single committee In each body shoult
, consider all financial measures. This
of COURSE does not mean that sub
report upon the various divisions OF
the general budget. All committees
however, should have the counsel and
advice OF single chaarman or. head
There IL probably no othar civilized
msnt which, Is truly. represent tive
where there has. beer. such q complett
lack OF supervision Of the budget a.
In the United States. .
/ With q war debt Of SIS. ZOO. 000.00t
hanging over us. 1t il NO longer prac.
ticable to meet an annual defcit BY
stockho1ders-it's citizens. =!
Even the United States, with o tota:
estimated wealth of more than tive
hundred billion dollars. 10 not 30 rich
or 30 powerful that 1t can afford to
disresard the. principles Of bushes,
carefully mapped out budgetarf
plan. ;.