The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-10-06
DEMAND FOR BUDGET SYSTEM
 CROWS STRONG
Want Congress To Put Country on Business
 Basis.

Washington, D. C., Oct. 5.-Almost should establish a federal budget system. President Wilson has so re- commended to Congress and Senator Boies Penrose, of Pennsylvania, lead CT of the Republicans in Congress, said at the beginning of this session of Congress that what we must have is a budget system that is admins trative and Legislative. To my mind it is the most important Ques- ton before Congress-
 But despite the Pennsylvania Sen ator's estimate that consideration of a budget system of appropriations and expenditures is the most import ant matter before Congress, he evi- dently continues to feel that Penn sylvania politics are even more inn portant. At least, his absence from the Senate until last week is still the the subject of comment, and although Congress has now been in session four months and half, the Senate Finance Committee, of which MT. Penrose is chairman, has held but one or two perfunctory meetings and has accomplished nothing. It cer- tainIy has not taken up the question of a budget.
 In the House, the matter has been given some consideration, but even there the Republicans, who are in control and who have been bemoan- ing alleged extravagances, and have declared that the budget system will be a cure-au and must be established, do not seem to be able to agree on any plan. In consequence, Congress does not appear to be any nearer the establishment of a budget system to- day than it was the day the RepubIi- cans organized both houses after President Wilson convened the special session.
 But in this, however, they are merely running true to form, for with the exception of repeating the tax on soda water and passing two or three small "popgun" tariff bills, demanded by individual Republican members of the Ways and Means Committee, the House hasn't accom- plished anything and Indications are that the present Congress will live and die and the country will still be whist1ing for it's budget system. The little attention that members of the majority party in the House 1 serves to emphasize the fact that they aren't agreed among themselves. Proof of this is contained III a let ter recently written to Representative Frear, of Wisconsin by Representa- tive Steenerson of Minnesota. Both are Republicans. MT. Frear is a 1 member of the Ways and Means | committee, and is at present in the Pacific northwest, as chairman of the subcommittee investigating aircraft | expenditures during the war. MT | Steenerson is chairman of the Com
 nittee on Postofices and Post Roads | and both therefore are high in the | councils of their party.
 MT. Steenerson's letter, in which l he severely condemned his fellow Re | publican 'Investigators," by the way | was in reply to a letter to him or the subject of budget by MT. Freal
 and to the latter's remarks and biI
 on the subject.
 Replying to Mir. Frear's letter, MT | Steenerson wrote:
 Your argument is that 1t would
 be in the interest of economy ant
 efficiency that all appropriations b! | Congress should be passed upon b!
 a. single committee, rather than b! l over twenty lrreSponS1ole CongreS sional committees.' Your plan con
 templates a concentration of power compared to which 'Cannonism' in it
 paImiest days would be but shadow The few Congressional districts whose members happened to be or
 that all-important committee would
 have an unchecked and undue in
 fuence over all legislation. It is 8 | plan in the interest of augme entins executive power and diminishing the l power of the peoples direct repre- | senta lives"
 In the meantime, plans for a bud l get system aren't getting anywhere.