Evening star., 1920-12-02
|SAYSFORCE HERE
| COULD Be CUT HALF
Mr.. Smoot Plans to Slash
Appropriation Bill to
the Bone.

! The number of government employees
in the District can very well be re-
duced one-han and all the work of
! che government necessary can still be
properly performed. according to
| Senator Smoot Of Utah.
| The Utah senator said today that he
did not see how reclassifcation of
the government employees could very
well be undertaken until conditions
nave become normal and the number
or employees greatly reduced.
He expressed himself in favor Of a
readJustment of salaries paid to gov
ernment employees SO that those en-
ployes doing similar work would re-
celve similar pay.
The Inequalities in pay among the
government employees, he said, worke ed
a great injustice to them.
Will De Cut to Bone.
Appropriation bills for the next
nscal year will be cut to the bone il
senator Smoot has his way.
would like to see the appropria-
ton Kept down to s3.5OO. .00O. 900. If
possible. said Senator Smoot, Ger
talnly not to go over $4,000, ,0oo, 900"
senator Smoot said that a great
eVii Is the deficiency appropriation,
ana until the practice of making de-
nciency appropriations is cut out
lhere VIII undoubtedly be extrava-
sance in government expenditures.
Ihere is law against deficiency
expenditures" said Senator Smoot,
put until we put some member of the
cabinet in Jail. l have a great doubt
about our ability to put an end to
such deficiency expenditures.
reorganization of the government
departments SO as to eliminate dupli-
cation OF work is Of vital importance .
Senator Smoot said.
Was Passed by senate.
My resolution providing for the
appointment of joint committee.
representatives.. to make survey of
the government departments and rec
ommend reorganization legislation
was passed by the Senate at the last
| session 1t was favorably reported by
the House committee. and is on the
House calendar awaiting action.
ITO reorganize the government de-
partments properly will require a
study. believe, of almost two years.
Ihere has been no reorganization
since the days of Hamilton. AS our
reorganization must be studied care
Iuiy. tnere is no reason why the
number OF government employees in
the District Of Columbia and in the
country outside the District should
not be reduced one-haf. Before the
war there were about $4,000 en-
pioyes of the government. and the last
number over 700 600"
Senator Smoot said that he expected
legislation at the short session to
grant some relief to the agricultural
interests which have been hard hit
by the recent slump in prices.
Embargo ON Wool.
Il will offer a resolution as soon as
Congress meets placing an embargo
on the importation of wool, meats and
tive Is not done Immediately the wool
industry in this country will be de-
stroyed. Three-fourths of the sheep
men today are either in bankruptcy
or on the verge of it. Foreign coun-
tries took wool in great quantities
and blankets for their soldiers. 1t is
vital that the wool industry be saved
would have the embargo continued
for one year. Meantime, we can take
up hide legislation and place duties
on wool and woolen goods"
Senator Smoot said that he did not
think that the embargo on wool would
tend to keep up the prices of cloth
ing, since twelve months elapse from
the time wool is taken from the back
Of the sheep until it reaches the backs
Of the wearers in summer in the shape
Of clothing.
The Utah senator said that undoubt-
edly the wheat growers would seek
an embargo also upon their products
He said that something should be
done to aid the farmers, but they
were not faced with destruction, when
as are the wool men.
Years to Get Back.
Since the sheep and cattle indus
tries are hit harder than the fiocks
and herds are destroyed. it will take
many years to get them back again.
he said.
Senator Smoot said he would ap-
prove amendment to the federal re-
serve act which would aid the farm
ers and cattle men and the banks of the
west, which are in danger.
Senator Smoot said he did not look
for any revenue legislation at the
coming short session of Congress,
other than the several small bills
which were reported in the Senate
at the last session. dealing with dye
stuffs and other industries built up
during the war He believes that
the excess profits tax should be re-
pealed, and that a straight sales tax
of 1 per cent should be substituted
for it.