The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-01-31
!. 5. SENATORS PRtf|||||||
REPORT ON BUDGET Plan

Washington. Jan. 3o-wtth the hear
ings on rhe Mccormick bin concluded.
budget will go into executive. sssason
to prepare its report 10 the upper
cham Der Of congress 20,
1t is likely that q subcommittee will
be appointed from The mem Ders l,s-ths
main committee to amend. OF appEeva
the Mccormick till with the SUGGESTED
rcFlsions contained in a Comuittae re.
port that has been prepared b. sylaLor
Mccormick, chairman OF the main cam
mtttee. -
Senator Mccormick declared TO-DAY
that he expected the committees .reS1sifs
To be ready for submission to the gen.
ate by the LIST OF February H4 Con
templates the passage or d measilIs, in
the senate by March /. Shauh. .ihs
senate adopt the main provisions Of
the Mccormick bill. rather than Iha
Good bli4 il VIII he necessary terap-
point conference committee from the
two houses 20 determine upon the
measure 70 be introduced for 0.uat
adoption by both branches Of the. ma
lions Legislature
-# II 5iir- rractt~attv att the witnesses
ho appeared before the senate select
committee on the budget regarded the
McCormtCk biIl ass stronger than the
sod h3Ii, passed by the house asst. De-
loh'r z" % Of the provisions IN the Nc
q rm.cE bin met "3ih SoTqe oblerttpn.
These provisions are Tnbodted IA Sec
teps and l5 neither of whfcr is
affected By the proposed revisioIts OF
tay original bal.
Section 40 provides that he secfetarv
OF war shall annually submit budget
estimates Ia detail for river and rar-
Dor improvements. required for the en-
% -.
treasury. te he incorporated by hlm,
without ehaugc INTO the budget whtch
he 81 6fuita 10 the president. River and
harhor improvements have long been
"a source of great waste Of the public
money. in the opinion of exponontS OF
federal economy. both IN and oats of
congress,
Commenting on why rs has excluded
these estimates from the reyisious of
the secretary Of the treasury, Senator
Mccormick said The only reason that
have included that provision in ,ny
I'm Is that river and harbor Improves
rlents do not come under the turisaic-
ststn Of secretary Of public workA
They are sort OF lost children il
tie war department. The thing that
! Is almost as urgent the adoption OF
a budget system is the reorganization
and proper coordination of the execu-
( tive departments a budget system,
/ however must come hrst It wiz be
| Tremendous incentive to the accom-
! pliShment Of the other"
The secretary Of the treasury II fur
/ ther curtAiIed in his power of revising
executive depa rtment estimates by sec
i ton - OF the Mccormick bill 1t pro-
] Nides that the secretary OF the treasury
shaH not have or exercise any power
Of revision over the budget estimates
for the war or navy departments -ex.
ecpt the estimates for their civil e4tab-
ltshments, including among the latter
the estimates for public buildings and
grounds. but shall submit them 10 the
/ president in the form and for. the
amounts in which they are transmitted
/ T. him. Such a provision Is a part OF
I The Br fish budget syatem.
Under the British system" senator
Mccormick explained the treasury
/ cola bprates-that is. 1t has inspectors
and advisors who sit as financial off,
GERS in the admiralty and war offices.
tut the secretary has no power OF re-
VISION over the estimates of these de-
/ Tartments of the British government
because the defense OF the realm is
considered different from any civil
problem. NY bill emuiates the British
system to some extent"
I Defending the provisions OF his hill
az to the preparation of the budget.
! senator Mccormick said: From my
study OF budgetary procedure in every
other civilized nation Of the world I
have found it almost the universal
practice to make the head OF the treas
ury responsible for the preparation OF
the budget This IS true from Brussels
To BueHox Aires and from Buenos
res to Rome,
Our situation today as the result OF
rho war Is all the more reason why
he secretary of the treasury Should
prepare the budget He is required at