The New York herald., 1921-05-30
ECONOMY EVASIONS AROUSE
CRITICS OF u. S. GOVERNMENT

cans have sinned in Disgusting appro-
pridtions or reducing inflated estimates
and making this look like economy, the
Democrats have been guilty OF sitting
silent and inert as IL bound and gagged
without raising a dissenting voice or
opening the eyes of the public.
The Republicans would have well
oomed an aroused public opinion be-
cause It would have enabled them TO
escape the tremendous pressure which
comes each year from all parts OF the
country and from all factions when APP
propriations are being made, and 1t is
especially severe after an election. Yet
the Democrats could not insist on
drastic cuts without convicting them
selves of previous extravagances.
However, alibis save no money. Get
ting down TO something specific out of
the twelve appropriation bills which are
supposed to control. but actually do not
control, Government expenditures un-
der the present system, there is scarcely
a single one where any worth while
savings have yet been made, and this is
all the more shameful because there
are several where the opportunity to
save is so patent as to leave no plausi-
BILE excuse for not doing so.
The greatest of the opportunities for
saving are in the army and navy. And
as might be expected, for every argu-
ment in favor Of effecting these sound
substantial economies timid legisla-
tors and downright self-seeking depart
mental spendthrifts who do not know
or do not care what gigantic problems
confront the nation have invented
dozen reasons for continuing the squan-
der These profligates are not even
content with retaining appropriations
six times as large as In 1914, but they
have the audacity to ask for still further
increases, and they use every known
subterfugc and method of persuasion to
enforce their demands. And these meth
ods of persuasion and these subterfuges
are many. running all the way from
begging and snivelling before commit
tees and bullying or intimidating indi-
vidual legislators to Disgusting new ap
propriations by making them look like
they came from unexpended balances.
Threats of legislative obstruction fig
ure In these mannuvres as do promises
of political reward or of political an
initiation.
Apart from the army and navy bills,
there are the sundry civil and the legis-
lative bills. both of which contain enor-
nous items to carry on the activities
of war boards. bureaus, commissions
and investigative bodies now of no more
practical utility than fifth wheel on
an airplane. On top of these is the
nebulous quantity designated as 'in-
definite appropriations" or "reappro-
priations." In the analysis to follow
many readers likely will for the first
time gather an idea of the evils of such
appropriations, how they are used to
enhance the glitter of fake economy and
to enable the official spenders to ex-
ceed by hundreds of millions OF dollars
the appropriations contained in the
definite allowances made by Congress.
Many other items might be cited here,
but these will suffice to show that what
has been handed to the public in a
wrapper conspicuously labelled econ
omy and efficiency" has thus far turned
out to be a gold brick and that 1t is
going to take more than mere passive
public displeasure to get the real thing.