The Coconino sun., 1920-06-18

lSo"oPCio% With COhSiCo HI oh CSo"o my program.
 The universal demand for legsla- tive budget is recognition of the in controvertible fact that leadership and sincere assistance on the part of the executive departments are essential to effective economy and constructive re- trenchment. The Overman act invested the presi- dent of the United States with all the authority and power necessary to It store the federal government to a normal peace basis and to reor- ganiZe and to retrench and to demob- ilize. The dominant fact is that IS months after the armistice the United States government is still on a war time basis and the expenditure pro- gram of the executive reflects wartime extravaganza rather than rigid peace time economy.
 As an example of the failure to re- trench which has characterized the postwar policy of the administration, we cite the fact that, not including the war and navy departments, the executive departments and other es- tablishments at Washington actually record an increase subsequent to the armistice of PISA employees. The net decrease in payroll costs contained in the 1921 demands submitted by the administration is only one per cent un- der that of 1920.
 The annual expenses of federal op- millions of dollars without impairing the efficiency of the public service. We pledge ourselves to carefully planned readjustment to a peace-time basis and to policy of rigid economy, to the better coordination of depart mental activities, to the elimination of unnecessary officials and employees and to the raising of the standard of individual efficiency.
 The Executive Budget. We congratulate the republican congress on the enactment of law providing for the establishment of an executive budget as necessary in strument for a sound and business like administration of the national finances, and we condemn the veto of the president which defeated this great financial reform.
 ReOr rganization of Federal Depart ments and Bureaus.
 | We advocate a thorough investiga- tion of the present organization of the federal departments and bureaus, with view to securing consolidation, a more business-like distribution of functions, the elimination of duplica- tion, delays and overlapping of work and the establishment of an up-to-date and efficient administrative organiza- tion.
 War Powers of President.
 The president clings tenaciously to his autocratic wartime powers. l His veto of the resolution declaring peace and his refusal to sign the bill repeating wartime legislation, no longer necessary, evidenced his deter imitation not to restore to the nation and to the states the form of govern ment provided for by the constitution. This usurpation is intolerable and de serves the severest condemnation. Taxation.
 The burden of taxation imposed up- on the American people is staggering; but in presenting a true statement of the situation we must face the fact that, while the character of the taxes can and should be changed, an early reduction of the amount of revenue to be raised is not to be expected.
 The next republican administration will inherit from it's democratic pred ecessor a floating indebtedness of over S3,000, ,000, 900; the prompt lqui- dation of which is demanded by sound financial considerations. Moreover, the whole fiscal policy of the government must be deeply influenced by the ne cessity of meeting obligations in ex- cess of S5,000, 100000, which mature in 1923. But sound policy equally de- mands the early accomplishment of that real reduction of the tax burden which may be achieved by substitut- ing simple for complex tax laws and procedure, prompt and certain determ- ination of the tax liability for delay and uncertainty, tax laws which donot excessively mulct the consumer ol needlessly necessitate enterprise and thrift.
 We advocate the issuance of sim plified list of incomes, authorizing the trade to make changes in regulations defective only from the date of theil approval ;empowering tht commission. CT of internal revenue, with the con. sent of taxpayer, to make final and conclusive settlements of tax claims and assessments barring fraud, ana the creation of tax board consisting of at least three representatives oi the taxpaying public and the heads oi | the principal divisions of the bureau of internal revenue to act as a stand 4 ing committee on the simplification ot forms, procedure and law, and to mak' recommendations to the congress.
 Banking and Currency.
 The one dominating fact is that tht war, to great extent, was financed by policy of imitation through certi ficate borrowing from the banks, ant bonds issued at artificial rates sus tained by the low discount rates estab lished by the federal reserve board The continuance of this policy since the armistice lays the administration