, 1921-08-25
DEFICIENCY BILLS
MAY BE LEGISLATED
OUT OF EXISTENCE
proposition to Create Emergency
Funde to Meet Unexpected
Expenses.


WASHINGTON. Aug. 23.-One of
the results Of the Budget law and
the creation OF the Budget Bureau
Will probably be the enactment OF
supplementary legislation dealing
with the problem of deficiency appro-
priations. Shortly after the enact
ment Of the Budget law. Thomas r.
Marshall. former Vice President,
seriously questioned the efficacy of
such a law because he said depart
ment heads would get around 1t by
exceeding appropriations allowed
under the law and presenting defci-
ency bills at the succeeding session
OF Congress. Since that time many
Democrats have taken the same view
point In an effort to discredit the Re-
publican accomplishment Of putting
the law on the books.
Republicans in both legislative
and executive branches are not in
clined to minimize the possibility Of
the law being evaded in just such
a manner In fact the practice Of
department and bureau heads spend
ing more than their appropriations
and then being reimbursed by def
cheney appropriations by a succeed
Ing Congress is one which has beer
INDUCED by both Republicans and
Democrats alike for fifty years. But
Its long indulgence has proved it's
evil administration leaders are now
considering the enactment Of a law
to stop department and bureau heads
from exceeding the appropriations
asked by them in the Budget bill and
allowed by the Congress. except in
cases of genuine emergency.
This legislation will probably con-
sist OF two phases. First, an abso-
lutte Inhibition against any executive
mourning a deficiency obligation by
spending more than the a]ppropria-
ton allowed him; second, the crea-
ton of a board which shall pass
upon emergency propositions and
shall be authorized to meet them by
drawing from a special fund to be
specified in the Budget under that
heading and appropriated by the
Congress for that specific purpose.
1t Is pointed cut hat In Ohio, for
example, there Is q board made up
ex-o1icio. of the governor. state
auditor. attorney general and the
chafrmen OF the house and senate
finance committees. This is called
an Emergency Board and when any
oopoi tlucuL OF bureau mas
an emergency which makes demands
upon 1t in excess of its regular aupro-
prtations, 1t appeals to the Emery
ency Board for additional funds. II
the case Is a meritorious one the
board approves the request and the
money is transferred to the depart
ment from an emergency fund which
the legislature appropriates each
year and places in charge of the
Emergency Board.
1t is believed that the creation OF
a similar board in the Federal Gov
eminent would be practical. 1t could
DC an ex-officio board and need not
incur n additional expense or set
up any new machinery. The exist
ence OF such a board in connection
with the law prohibiting the head of
any department or bureau from ex-
ceeding his appropriation would
eliminate all deficiency appropria-
ton bills. Bureau or department
heads having a real need for more
money than their budget called for.
could obtain the necessary funds
from this board which would be fin
anced by a special fund known as the
emergency fund. 1t is felt that most
OF the "emergencies'' which have
arisen In the past have really not
oeeh as serious as bureau heads
represented and that If a bureau
mead knew he had to show real cause
Tor emergency assistance. there
would be Very few instances where
such requests would be made.