New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Budget Reform
For State and
Nation Urged
r.,.,or Mccormick Tells
Young Republican Club
.t First Postwar Dinner
New System Is Necessary
Ex-senator Mills Speaks
.4xocates Reduction of All
State Elective Officers to
Three With Longer Terms

determination of fiscal systems for
~, state and Federal governments
the keynote of the speeches de-
,.s..S before the Young Republican
",,h Of New York. at that organiza-
..on,s first postwar dinner. held at
..e Hotel Commodore last night. Sena-
=. Nedul Mccormick, of Illinois,
.,.;rman Of the Senate's select comx
n;t,ee on the budget, pleaded for Fed
80, budget revision. Former State
senator Ogden L. Mills urged budgetary
..,orn and the simplifcation of the
.ov.rnment of New York State.
rns of the most important results of
IL. war. Senator Mccormick said,
rould be its effect upon the fiscal
,,,sses Of all nations involved. He
.rsd,cted that Congress would cut ap-
.r.r,iation estimaes by $1,000, 100000,
md that it would pass some form of
budget bill.
ALREADY he said, Eve see that the
-, itself and the economic burdens
which it has imposed upon society
must energize public administration
n . degree hitherto unknown. or society
yu suffer incalculable lapse from its
present level of civilization.
Make Executive Responsible
obviously" the Illinois Senator con-
timed, "if We are to adopt for the
United States the budget principle as
Il prevails throughout the civilized
world. so must we also adapt it to our
c.cular Constitution. We must make
the Executive clearly sponsible for
the aggregate estimates submitted to
Congress; we must make Congress
clearly responsible for the aggregate
expenditures authorized by law; we
must provide the Executive with the
legal authority and the expert staff
necessary 10 restrain the hungry de-
rartments, and we must reform our
legislative practice and our pnrlia
nentsry procedure to meet the end
which we have in view"
Discussing the exchange situation,
Senator Mccormick declared that the
idea that some international agreement
or fat might restore foreign exchange
to its normal balance was Financial
heresy."
Ex-State Senator Ogden L. Mills
strongly supported the scheme for re-
form Of the state administration sys-
TEN which will reduce the elective Off
GERS in the state government to three
the Governor. the Lieutenant Governor
and Comptroller, with a longer term
for each. There was no good reason
to expect reduction in state expendi-
lures, in the face of the constant ex-
tension Of the activities of the state
government, he said, but the people
had right to insist on the proper ad-
minlstration Of these expenditures.
people to Blame"
"No one is to blame for the system. 3"
Mr.. Mills said "unless it be the people
themselves. 1t represents in no sense
logical plan. but a gradual growth,
and that it functions at all--and it
does function reasonably well-must
be attributed TO the fact that it was
pleced together to meet new demands
and situations and has teen nodded
BY the very circumstances whose needs
gave rise to the successive acts of
creation.
From the standpoint Of service the
government is reasonably adequate, but
from the standpoint of economy and re-
sponslbility it is hopelessly deficient"