Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-03
Economy and Reconstruction

WITH prices for commodities on the to-
w boggan and headed toward pre-war
levels, every business which expects to pros
per in the future faces the necessity OF en-
tering upon program of rigid economy in
every detail OF its operation. Overhead ex-
Renses must be closely studied and all need
less costs eliminated. With the volume
paid out in wages being steadily lowered,
either by reduction in the scale of compen-
sation or growing unemployment, and bust
ness profits curtaled by lcssened demand
and lower margins, individual economy like
wise becomes imperative, if the burden of
war costs is not to hang like a nightmare
upon national industry and dishearten the
masses for the tasks ahead in the struggle
| to get back to the normal Of uniformly diff
! fused prosperity.
This mandate of economic law in respect
to individual and business life applies with
| equal force to the necessity for retrench-
ment in governmental expenditures. From
government whose cost of opera ton four
! years ago amounted to n billion dollars an
/ hually. we have now government that
, costs the taxpayers TO support it more than
| four billion dollars a year. And this cost
continues more than two years after the
close OF the war which entailed the heavy
burden of increase. The country is groan-
ing under this burden. Dissatisfaction with
| the recent election by which change of
party administration was voted
The victorious Republican party in it's
platform pledged the incoming administra-
ton to "a carefully planned readjustment
to a peacc-timc basis, and TO policy Of
economy, to the better coordination of de-
partmental activities. to the elimination of
unnecessary officials and employees and TO
the raising OF the standard Of individual eff
! tt.s,,
great satisfaction TO the public that the
| rarty's Representatives in Congress are
manifesting 4 determined purpose to fulfill
this prediction promise AS an earnest
| OF how 1t proposes TO 30 about reducing cy-
! penditureS, as Il basis for lowered taxation
! the House Appropriations Committee this
| week reported out the Sundrv civil bill with
more than % per cent Of the amounts csti-
! mated by department heads slashed or n
total OF SSOi525,4S4 asked. S42O.914,192
| was eliminated by the committee leaving
! only SoS5,6ll w 10 run the departments
| included for the fiscal year 1922 The
sundry civil bill provides money to run all
| government departments, bureaus. boards
| and commissions not taken care of i'm spe-
| clal appropriation bills. Ii the same sprit
| IS manifested i'll fixing the items of the spe-
! c'al appropriation bills. il is not unreason-
| "nic TO expect something like proportion
| ate slashing in the estimates asked for in
! these.
IL has we'll been said that the way to
| economy is to cconomiZe. 1t needs no
labored argument 10 prove that there is
| ample room Tor ii lin curtailing much need
TESS expense III The operations Of the gov
ernmcnt as at present conducted. If the
| present Congress goes at the job i'm the
| right way, there is every reason to bclieye
that 1t can meet every requirement of a
! government efficiently and economically adj
ministered by keeping the appropriation.
for its support we'll within the three-bllion
mark during the next two years