The New York herald., 1921-06-24


failure. whether pubic praise or public
criticism results, you wltl at least have
been true TO your country.
IN the minds OF the President, the
Cabinet, the Congress and the pubic
there mus, exist an absolute confidence
in the -parlisanship, impersonanty
and disinterestedness OF the Budget
bureau, which can never succeed prop
erly II it becomes involved in contro-
versy, public or private, with the heads
OF the departments.
Nation Facing N Crisis.
"In Government business a. G..ntstra-
ton II is the eyes and ears but The
fingers of the Chief Executive. ~ IL
misconstrues its own functions and
thereby becomes unnecessarily involved
in controversies with tho department
heads upon whom rests the duty oil ad-
ministrauon, it viii fail. In proportion
as it functions humbly Il viii function
powerfully, for the adoption of its sug-
gestions by the President depends upon
their reasonableness alone. My own
connection with the bureau will cease
arter the first budget is made, proyided
the budget machinery is then operating
efficiently. But whatever may be the
time involved, L have made up my mind
TO stay With it until it is so operating
provided in the meantime l am not re-
garded as a failure by the President.
THE crisis which confronts US all as
business men is as great as that when
the business community and all our
people rose as one in the support OF the
Liberty loans. For the welfare OF the
nation money had then to be spent; for
it's welfare now it must be saved. 1t Is
a popular misconception that Congress
Is primarily responsible for the extraVa-
CANT expenditures of the Government.
For twenty years, including 1916, before
we went into the war, there were only
two years when Congress did not reduce
the appropriations asked for by the un-
coordinated departments. In the last
two years they have cut down the appro-
priations by billions of dollars. 1T is
Congress which has created the reor-
ganization committee and the budget
! bureau in order to give the President
and Congress the information necessary
for them TO meet the existing emer-
gency.
'I wi ;sh to call attention to the fact
that the Budget Bureau is only the
agency provided by Congress for this
work. OF equal power and perhaps
d greater Importance is this great Con-
gressional committee headed by Walter
bTOWn. In ltS Work OIL recommending
methods of consolidation, reclassifica-
tion and coordination of the Govern
ment's business system it is working
along the same lines as with the Budget
Bureau. Without its cooperation the
Budget Bureau cannot properly succeed.
II is my great hope that the Budget
Bureau may deserve its confidence and
that our work may proceed in close con-
tact and mutual understanding with
them
Shields for Comptroller.
no time will be lost in the selection
OF man to iii the newly created post
OF Com7troller-Gen who is to take
prominent part in the scheme of eco
non,c administration of the Government.
Secretary Of the Treasury Mellon said
to-day that the appointment might be
announced tomorrow.
M. Mellon did not give any indication
as to who would get the important place.
! Several parsons are understood to have
| beer under consideration, but the only
name that has become known here is
! Marcellus C. Shields, clerk OF the House
! Appropriations Committee.
Mr.. Shields has worked for that COM
nittee for many years and is regarded
as one Of the two or three best qualified
men in the country for the job. He has
been strongly indorsed by all members
Of the Appropriations Committee, by Re-
publican House leaders and by many
prominent Senators.
The Conptroller-Generalv will have the
task Of looking after the expenditures
of the money after 1t has been appropri-
ated by Congress, just as the Director of
the Budget will have the task Of attend
| ing IN advance to the estimates on which
Congress is expected to base the appro-
priatiops. The six present departmental
auditors and the present Comptroller Of
the Treasury will cease to exist after
| July 1. Their duties will be taken over
| by this new officer.