New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-07-15


director of purchases and supplies for
the army In France during the war,
has been appointed as budget director.
Ii is probable that not even the
will intimate that he has sought a
government job for the pay or the
glory that is in 1t. His civil life
position probably paid him many times
the amount of the salary which the
government will hand him each year.
Mr.. Dawes Is going TO take hold
of a five billion dollar a year business
and try TO run il so that enough money
can be saved to Uncle Sam each year
to make the installment of the nee
essary machinery of accomplishment
IA justifiable Bit Of legislation.
And so the long looked fer budget
system Is to go into operation. by
the provisions of the law every presi-
dent of the United States In the future
will be under legal obligation to send
to congress In December the first
budget of government.
ne wan ms bh'SNt
Well, II must have in IL estimates of
every forthcoming appropriation and
with them estimates of the probable
government income from every source
under the law as Ii exists. and Il also
must contain an estimate of the re-
celpts as they are likely to be under
such proposals for revenue raising
as the budget may contain.
In addition 70 this there must be a
statement of the condition Of the
treasury and what 1t is believed the
condition of the same department will
be when another fiscal year is ended.
In addition to this there must he n
complete statement Of the indebted
ness of the government and such other
financial statements as congress may
need 10 see Its way clear to legislate
wisely In what may be called a
financial way.
OF Prime Interest To All Of Us.
The country probably will watch
the operation of approprlating money
under the new budget system with
keen interest. II is the peoples money
which is being spent, and therefore
In a way the chairman of the budget
will be the steward Of the people.
In the house of representatives
there already Is n consolidated com
mittee on appropriations. The chair
man Of this committee, James w.
Goode of Iowa, has left congress. No
body knows who will succeed him.
The Job of the consolidated a%ppropria.
tions committee is n peculiar one,
for It is Il sort of guardian of bills
proposing expenditures and II Is its
duty in n large measure 10 see to II
that the smaller committees when
they make their reports shall not be
led into the way of extravaganza.
1t Is possible that the senate will
he compelled to follow the example OF
the house and dissolve "A large number
of its smaller committees, or else keep
them II their present form but with
merely a narrower field In which to
work. Virtually the enlarged ap-
preparations committee of the house
has taken over everything which per
tains to finance. or at least II has
constituted Itself n sort of court of
last resort in appropriation matters.
If the same course shall be applied
I'm the senate, the committee Of which
Senator Penrose now is chairman will
have greatly enlarged powers, and
while all appropriation measures must
originate In the house of representa-
tlves, the fact that the senate has n
last word In the matter will give To
the chairman Of the senate appropria-
lions committee n power perhaps
than that held by the house
committee chairman.
Dawes a Vigorous Man.
Charles G.. Dawes, who has been
appointed director of the budget is
the Charles q. Dawes who aroused
the risibilities of the country, and
TO a considerable extent its admira-
by the course which he pursued
ms a witness before the subcommittee
of the army expenditures Investigate
Ing committee OF the house Of repre-
sentatives.
II will be remembered that MIR.
Dawes served In France and doubt
less made a side excursion or two into
Flanders. II may be that he learned
of his picturesque language In
the latter country. for It was the mud
in Flinders which gave Uncle Toby
the inspiration for his smile wher
he said. "swore like the army In
Flanders"
There may he no occasion for pictur
esque language in the office room Fl
the new director Of the budget, hut
II n man Is Ia be moved Ia strong eX-
pressions by hard work, the moving
force will mo- he absent. The budget
is a new thing; II is intricate in It's
imposed duties and moreover ii deals
with finance, about which men
have disagreed ever since he days
when the Indians aud the early set
tiers used wampum as a medium of
exchange.