The Washington herald., 1921-06-28
Harding Expects Dawes
To Cut Appropria-
tions Deeply.
SPEED SURPRISES
DEPARTMENT HEADS
First Lessons in Economy
At Mass Meeting
Tomorrow.
By ROBERT j. BENDER

President Harding and Charles G'
Dawes. Director of the Budget, have
launched forth upon a thirty-day
wonder-work-
Tomorrow they will meet with
Cabinet officers, bureau chiefs and
other responsible subordinates in
the government to slash admins
trative expenses And within thirty
days, President Harding believes,
new budget Of gofernment opera
: tion will have been effected.
The task is fearful and po-
ntically hazardous one 1t has been
promised by succeeding administra-
lions since the government was
founded It has been repeatedly
prepared for. frequently actually
begun-but has always withered
under bureaucratic pressure. rein
forced by political influence. and
succeeding administrations through
the decades have generally cost
more to operate than their prede-
cessors-
Expects Big Saving.
The new budget which Dawes is
called upon to prepare will apply
for the fiscal year beginning July l,
In spite of the fact that appropria-
tions for that period have already
been made by Congress. The Presi-
dent believes the departments can
operate on less money than Con-
gress has granted them He says
he does not assume, as was the
custom under the old system within
the individual departments. that
the minimum of governmental eX-
penditures in the year is the
amount fixed by Congress In its
appropriations"
The move for immediate action
caused surprise both in the depart
ments and in Congress. Under the
law IL was provided that the new
budget be submitted next Deeem-
Der to cover the ensuing fiscal year
ending June 80. 1923. Harding.
however, decided there was no need
Of delay and every need of speed
ing the work in the interest Of
economy.
Applies Dawes Methods
Upon Dawes are laid the respon-
sibilities of the thirty-day wonder
worker. He was given directions
to go ahead in two conferences
with the President yesterday. And
in his most approved Dawes style,
he did so at once with a call for
the conference of all bureau ad-
ministrators to meet tomorrow in
the auditorium Of the Interior De-
partment at o'clock. There they
are to receive their first blunt les
sons in governmental efficiency and
economy. 1t will be the first time
in American history that such a
mass meeting of government off,
cials has been called.
The President will personally pre-
side at the meeting. This will have
the double effect of making his ac-
tive concern and influence in the
project unmistak able, and at the
same time will relieve Cabinet
members of being placed in the po-
sition of being dictated to by some
one actually outside the so-called
Official family"
Meeting Open to Public.
This unique gathering. according
to present plans. will be open to the
public Generally speaking, appro-
priations for administrative work
will be ignored in the process. The
President wishes to know what is
the minimum under the new
budget machinery with which the
government can be operated during
the next year"
-As would be done in any ordi-
nary business being confronted with
the necessity Of economy" the
President explained, Dawes has
been directed to prepare an entirely
new budget for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1922. and the maxi
mum OF this budget is expected to
be below the minimum amount pro-
vided for in the existing govern
mental expenditures"
Asks Alternative Budget.
A White House announcement de-
clares ''the President also interprets
Section 209 of the budget law as
authorizing the Director of the
Budget to prepare for his informa-
tion an alternative budget for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1928, in
which an effort will be made to es-
innate the financial economies incl
dent to the general plan for the re-
classification and regarding of gov
sfnmental activities, as suggested
by the Congressional joint commit
tee on the reorganization of the ad-
ministratiye branch of the govern
ment"
]. R. McCarl. McCook. Nebr., secre-
tary of the Republican Congress-
sional Campaign Committee. has
been nominated by President Hard
ing to the fifteen-year $4,000 post
Of controller general of the United
states, created under the budget
law. McCarl, who is 40 years old,
will have charge of government A.
nances, expenditures of appropria-
tions, auditing of expenditures, set
tlement of claims of and against
the government. and MANAGEMENT
CT all fiscal affairs except postal ac-
counts i
Supersedes Crissinger.
The new controller general takes
over the duties, personnel, etc, of
Comptroller of the Currency Cris-
singer, whose position. together
with those Of six auditors for varf-
Gus government departments, are
automatically abolished under pro-
visions Of the budget act. on July 1.
With the launching of the new
budget work, President Harding
has begun the most pretentious ef-
fort he has made to date to fulfll
campaign promises of economy, de-
tartmental consolidation and gem
orally tnersasad aniciencx-