The Washington herald., 1920-04-13
Efficient Financial Program
Needed by Government to Stem
Tide of Post War Spending
Executive Departments Plan Expenditures for
Next Year Four Times Greater than the
Amount Spent in Year Before War.

Postoffice Departments. The amounts
they seek, however, are far in ex-
cess OF what they got in 1915.
Certainly with the war over, II
would seem that many of the de-
partments should curtail their eX-
penditures. Or, If as a result of the
ending Of the war 1t is but proper
that they should broaden out the
scope of their peace-time work, IL
is equally fitting to ask why then
they seized upon the war to obtain
very large increases in approprla-
tions from Congress during the
period of the struggle?
Something Wrong I'm Fiscal Plan.
Something is wrong somewhere in
the financial planning of each of the
departments. for II is fact that
all of them used the war to obtain
larger appropriations from Congress,
and now that the war Is over, they
are attempting to get still greater
amounts OF money on Capitol Hill.
The Navy Department and the
Postoffice Department virtually es-
tablished q precedent when they
sought reduced appropriations from
the present Congress. As Mr.. Fitz-
gerald, the able former chairman Of
the House Appropriations Commit
toe, as Mr.. Kitchin, the former DEM
ocratic leader. and as Senator Smoot
have often pointed out. the execu-
tive branch OF the government has
never made any effort to reduce ex-
penses up to date. All the reducing
that has been done has been done
by Congress. despite its pork barrel
rivers and harbors and public build
ings bills. Even the most notori-
Gus items In these measures, upon
investigation. will be found to have
some sort Of executive approval at
tached to them.
Within the last few months, two
select committees OF Congress. those
Of the House and Senate, consider
ing the problem OF reform in our
fiscal system, have developed much
information which should not only
be of the greatest value, but of the
most vital interest, to the entire
public.
No vetoes for Economy.
During the House committee hear
ings, Mr.. Kitchin made this re-
markable statement
II have never known a President
to veto a bill because it was ap-
propriating too much, or because II
had this or that amount Of an ap-
propriation in it. The administra-
tions, all that I have served un-
der, and I have served under Mr..
Roosevelt, Mr.. Taft, and the pres
ent President, have asked for many
millions more than Congress has
been willing to give"
Mr.. Kitchin referred to state
ments made by former President
Taft and by President Wilson. to
the effect that they wanted a budget
system put into affect to keep Con-
gress from appropriating extrava-
gantly.
What we need in this country,
he said, 'is q budget system for the
administrations, to keep them from
demanding so much. We ought to
have some man in the administra-
tion looking at the problem from
the standpoint OF economy, and how
to get the maximum service at the
minimum cost. Under our system
now. from the President down to the
least little bureau, they are spend
ers; they are taught to spend, and
not to save"
Estimates Made Hastily.
There is no man IN the govern
ment today whose chief business is
to investigate the reasonableness,
the necessity of appropriations
sought by bureaus and departments.
Congress, through its committees.
is not In position to make such in
vestigations. At best, 1t can only
give the estimates sent 1t in the
hastiest sort of a survey. Conse-
quently, large Congressional cuts
usually fall into the class Of hori-
zontal decreases, rather than de-
crease based upon q consideration
Of the whole contemplated outlay
for government during one year.
and the proportionate value OF each
particular service therein.
The Republican majority in Con-
gress hopes to go before the coun-
try in the approaching campaign
with a record of having Topped off
at least $1,000. 100000 from the to-
tai amount of appropriations
sought by the administration. Such