Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-08-08

time of peace, latent power Of
the federal reserve system can be
seen promoting in every quarter
of the globe an widening flow
of American commerce. We will
soon have a merchant marine fleet
of 100000 tons aggregate, every
ship flying the American flag and
CARRYING in American bottoms the
products of mill and mine and fac
tory and farm. This would seem
to be guarantee of continued
prosperity our facilities for ex-
change and credit, however, in
foreign parts, should be enlarged
and under the federal reserve
banks should be established in i'm
portant trading centers. l am i'm
pressed also with the importance
of improving, il not recognizing
our consular service. The certain
increase in foreign trade would
seem to demand it. This suggests
another change, Our ambassadors
to foreign countries have had as
signed 10 them a military and a
naval attache. The staff should be
enlarged so as to include an Off
Ger of the government whose ex-
elusive duty would be to make OBJ
servation and report development
and improvement in educational
and social problems generally.
Government bureaus during the
war had close contact with the
business organization of the
country. That experience re-
vealed the modern need of reor-
ganization along purely business
lines. The advantages of de-
mocracy in government need not
be recounted 1t has been held
by experts that it involves the dis
advantage of disbursements. auth
cried by the law-making power
without sufficient knowledge of
the need of the service, or the
possibilities of extravaganza. The
answer to this is the budget sys-
tenn. No successful business en-
terprise OF any size can operate
without it,. For u hundred years,
the federal unit, and the states as
well, made appropriations without
determining the difference be-
tween department need and caprice
at the same time, paying little
attention to the relation as be-
tween income and expense. Many
of the states have adopted a bud
get system, and with a success
that carries no exception. Effic-
iency has been improved-depart-
mental responsibility has been
centered and economies have been
effected. The same can be done
by the federal government. The
system will reveal at once, Gas 1t
did in the states. a vast surplusage
of employees. 1t awakens individual
interest, encourages greater effort,
and gives opportunity for talent to
assert itself. The normal course
of least resistance, develops i'll
government bureaus a hardpan,
which retards progress. When the
reorganization is made. pay should
be commensurate with service.
Many federal departments whose
ramifications touch the country
generally. have lost valuable men
to business. This has badly Grip
pied postoffices, the railway mail
service and other branches.
am convinced after consider
able study of the subject that the
expense or the government call
without loss of efficiency, be re-
duced to maximum of four bill
lion dollars including sinking fund
and interest on the national debt
When we enter the league of ma
tons, we should at the same time
diminish our cost for armament.
To continue expenditures in either
the war or the navy departments
on Il vast scale, once our member
ship in the league is assured. would
seem to be very definite refuta-
ton of the advantages of the world
plan which we believe it possesses.
An appealing fundamental in the
league method, is the reduction of
ornaments. We cannot afford to
do it until other nations do like
wise. If we do not enter the
league, hundreds Of millions of
dollars must be spent for arma-
ments. If we go in. and / believe
the people will insist on it, then We
can count on economies.