The Cordova daily times., 1921-08-09
PLACE BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS

Cautiously enough an effort has recently been made to make it appear that congress, which does not directly eXpend money, rather than the administrative branch of government, upon the demand of which the legislative branch ap propriates public funds, is responsible for the criminal waste which has come to characterize the governmental expenditures and whuch dur ing the past four years hds heapcd burdens on the backs of the American people the like of which never before have been experienced
 Propaganda has been carried on with a view to making the people believe that congress IS not only guilty of what the executive branch of government has been doing during the past few years but that it is the real obstacle to reform now. Under the spell of war psychology there has been so much of this practice of mak- ing things appear what they are not, that per haps the success which has attended propa- ganda of this kind ought to surprise no one.
 Not only is congress not primarily respon- sbIe fo rthe waste of billions during the World war and subsequently,, but it has been violently assailed by representatives of the money spend ing branch of government under the Wilson administration, for crticizlng the extravaganza which cost the people of the United States bill lions of dollars
 The biggest obstacle to economy and eff cheney in governmental affairs is the fact that under the operations of a civil service system designed and operated to protect job holders and not taxpayers, heads of departments are powerIess to get rid of loafers and ineffcients or work out plans which will dispense with supernumcrares. There is not privately con ducted business in the country which could long survive under such a system and 1t will finally be discovered that the power of hiring and firing will have to be restored to depart mental heads before the strangle hold of the red tape bureaucracy upon the machinery of government is broken.
 The Republican party faces the necessity of reducing the expenditures of government to d normal basis. There is much talk about the abuses to be corrected being due not to the Wilson administration, but to the practices of a century or more The people will be well satisfied if the Republican party can get the cost of government within sight of the outlay of the last year of the last Republican national administration. More readiustments and changes in system will not accomplish this re- form; there must be an angry realization of the wrony involved in loading down ''le govern nieni rNyf0iis with unnecessary and incompe- tent i.HT loves and determE"'on ;H urn th !oalcrs out. In tht5 matter guilt Is personal. Inc hmeau chiefs who cannot reduce the op"' ations of their organizations to a strict business bas.s should be discharged, and 1t is a calamity that those responsible for the cOnscienceless padding of the payrolls cannot be eliminated at once and competent successors, interested in the success rather than the failure of the new administration, put in their places.
 Congress is not to blame for the criminal waste of the peoples money under the Wilson administration. Particularly the present con gress is not to blame. It has passed budget law under which it is possible, by cooperation between the executive and legislative depart ments of government, to accomplish real re- forms. But the work of cutting down the cost of government is primarily the responsibility of that branch of government which, under the