Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1920-12-16
pY \. Z. JoNEs. staff correspondent.

by N. r. JONES. Staff Correspondent.
special 10 The News.
WASHINGTON, Dec. i5.-Thls SEES.
sion Of Congress In faced with the hard
task Of making both ends u the Fed
erni Government meet. Expenditures
threaten to far exceed revenue, and
the Government Department seems a.
have gone mad with their demands In
the annual estimates.
The estimates for the fiscal year 1922
have fairly awed Congress. and are
enol IN % stagger the Imagination.
Counting the deficiency bills which ari
10 - fubnltted 20 Congress later and
which h In estimated will amount 20 nj
least nearly a billion dollars, the ri.
gnntic sum asked ~ Congress by the
Government Departments win run near
the five billion mark.
Congressional leaders already nj
work ON the estimates believe that with
the utmost use ~ the pruning knife II
will be impossible 20 lop off % the 81.
Inmates more than $3.50. 600. 900. a tire.
mendous effort win be- made by the
handlers 81 the scaipers TO make the
reduction a round billion dollars
one instance 81 the extrayagant 81.
Inmates and the bad management %
the Federal Government In seen In the
fact that the War Department already
mas a huge deficit. and there may not
be- enough money In the War Depart.
ment account % pay the officers and
men Of the regular army after next
February. The War Department has
exceeded the enlistments IN the regular
army authorized by II. 900 men. and the
Department will probably be the first
10 rush Ia Congress with a great de.
flciency bill.
From the size of the fourteen appro.
priation bills and the reductions that
are necessary In nearly every estimate
wherever possible. Il IL now more that
ever certain that this session can do
littk legislative business except to con
sider the appropriation measures
Retrenchmcnt and economy are ur'
gently needed. Leaders IL both parties
| in Congress recognize the fact. They
are concerned with the constantly in.
crcasing cost Of the Federal Govern.
mcnt
II will cost the Federal Government.
| In round numbers this fiscal year. tbs
great sum Of t2.7OO.OO0.O 900 to operate.
This fiscal year ends next June so. Yet
the estimates submitted for the next
fiscal year. which are already In the
hands of Congress. are nearly two bill
lions more. not counting the deficiency
bills that are yet 10 come.
Congressman are asking themselves
and each other when the orfy Of extrav.
agance In managing the Washington
government will end. They are de-
termincd TO cut all expenses Ia the bone
before House or Senate agrees TO n
single item. The fact In. Congressman
declare. the expenses of the Federal
Government have got to the point
where they are out Of all proportion to
the actual necessities u carrying on the
central government. and out ~ all pro-
portion to the population. wealth. and
resources Of the United states.
The method Of making up govern
ment estimates In the principal Gauss
why they are 80 large. Every little
bureau chief believes he IN the sun
around which the Federal Government
revolvcs. lie thinks that his bureau
In the most important cog In the whole
huge government machine. Conse'
quen,ly he always tries hard TO grab
all the money possible from Congress
To conduct his little corner In the ma.
chine. Such n thing M economy never
enters his small head. He asks every
cent that he thinks he might get. and
no, what he actually needs TO carry on
his bureau efficiently and economical
~. The secretaries ~ the various de-
partments naturally cannot know the
details ~ every bureau under their con.
troll and jurisdiction. Consequently the
padcd estimates are usually approved
by the secretaries In bulk. and are then
sent to Congress. where much time and
the peoples money In wasted In long
and strenuous effort 10 cut down every
estimate 20 actual needs and to discover
where lockers" have been inserted by
bureau chiefs 80 that such attempted