Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-01-31
lONONY is WATCHWORD SAY
LEADER MONDELI..
:dgct System Will Mean Nothiu
tn-css Al Supply Bills arc Cut
Billion or More.

washington, January.--AppcaI f.
Strictcst economy n public oxp.
lures n order to carry the count:
, trough the period of rcconstructic
, demanded Of Congress by Rcprcsc
>tivc Frank w. Mondcl of Wyomin
minority leader in the House. II
says:
There has been and is a very ger
oral and widespread public demand
for the adoption by Congress of n
, budget system. Responding to tina,
demand the House has PASSED n com
prehcnsivc bill provid. ng for such n
system, and VIC anticipate the adopt
, ion of budget system by the Con
gress at reasonably early date. Rut
! we do not have to wait for the odop,
| ION OF budget system to practice Tho
economies which such a system is in
tended to promote. We have now he,
/ lore us the facts and factors of n bud
get. 1t Is true it has not been present
| ca IN budgctary form, but it is here
| nevertheless. 1t is represented bv
| three enormous and rather appalling
, figures. nine billions of estimated
Obligations and expenditures. six bill
huns Oh estimated come. three bill
lions of estimated expenditures in OK
cess of incomc-3 billions of csti-
, mated deficit ut the end of the fisca,
year
| What are we going to do about it?
Cut the cStimatcS--trim them. Ion
them OIL; reduce them by billion or
! u billion and Il quarter. Yes: this
H'c must do; but what profit shall Il
ne IL we do this and then proceed To
meet every demand for new projects
and enterprises; for extensions and
endorsements Of federal activities :
Tor the continuation OF unnecessary
activities now being carried on; for
increase in salary, pay. and compcns,
ton to those in the military and civ
i. establishment Of the Government
! Let us not forget that i'm the nine
billion and more OF estimated obi ,ga
tons and expenditures for the next
! fiscal year not Il penny was cstimat
cd for increased compensation for
the employees in the civil establish
monts Of the Government above
what they are now receiving. Let
uH remember that in the enormous
estimate of more than billion dol
lars for the Military Establishment
more than the total cost OF tho Gov
crnment at the outbreak Of the World
War, not Il penny is estimated for In
creased pay to the officers and mon
Of the military establishment, not a
penny is estimated for any kind of
general military training, and that
! in the naval estimates not n dollar
is provided for increased pay or allow
ance for men or officers. We cannot
afford to forget that the sum Of these
estimates, stupcndous as they are,
contain no provision for II variety of
purposes and enterprises, more or
less meritorious which are being urg
cd and pressed upon the attention of
Congress.
And having kept all Of these things
in mind, let me appeal to those who
voted for the budget to 1.-Two up to
their budget record. to prove true to
'he principles that they approved III
their vote for the budget. A budget
system carries no compulsion to vote
the full sum Of the estimates, but
any budget system worth while is
either persuasive or Ohibitory
against great increases and appropri
atoms III excess Of, beyond and outside
Of the estimates and if Congress is
ever to operate under the restraints
Of budget system this is the time
to begin.
[ shall enter into no CONTROVERSY
with those who insist that proposals
Of increased expenditures which
they advocate have merit; they must
prove that they are imperative. I
shall not quarrel with gentlemen
who insist that certain river and hnr
Dor improvements are wise, useful
and Of q character that will eventual
ly be essential If we are to care for
growing and expanding commerce.
The conclusive answer Is that unless
the matter Is absolutely imperative
1t can not be undertaken, because
we have not the funds"