The Washington times., 1921-05-23

mand resolute courage TO enect
the abolition of the useless and
the coordination OF the useful.
But meanwhile we shall. trust.
have q budget system in opera
tion under the law. before the
opening Of the new nscal year.
This Is a long step toward intro
ducfng into government the sound
methods that great private busi-
ness establishments have adopted.
need not emphasize to you gen.
uemen the anomalous situation
of the Government heretofore, In
having a great number of spend
ing committees. apportioning mon
eys to various purposes, and re-
gardless Of the relationship of
these aggregated spendings to the
revenue in sight. No business,
no humblest household. could be
thus conducted without leading
into disaster.
RELIES UPON BUDGET.
Establishment of budget system
is the foundation on which re-
organization must be based. It IL
hardly conceivable. indeed. that .
proper budget system could be
established and carried on for any
considerable time without forcins
attention to the evils and effecting
the reform of many deficiencies Id
the present system. But the budget
program will not do everything. II
must not be accounted a fiscal and
efficiency panacea for II will not be.
There must still be much and con-
ttnuing EFFORT to keep expenses
down, to insnre full value for every
dollar Of the Taxpayers money the
government spends.
At this point, let me say, too much
stress cannot be laid on the fact
that eternal vigilance is the price
OF economy and efficiency. Moth
ing 10 easier in q government es-
tabhshment than to continue in ex-
istence offices, positions, employ
ments, once they are erected. II
requires persistent, determined.
stony-heart devotion to the public
interest There must be utter sac
rifice Of all sympathy for the place
holder whose real reason for keep
ing his position Is that he wants the
salary. There must be constant ex-
aminations to determine how, in the
processes of evolving functions and
methods. forces may be reduced and
Implications Of work eliminated.
MUST COMBAT INERTIA.
Inertia. which Is easily the great
est force in governmental organi-
zations, must be combatted at every
point. The fact that a thing has
existed for a decade or a century
that things have been done in a GER
tain way for a generation--must
not be accepted as proving that II
ought to continue that way. The
men who conscientiously and intel
ligently do this work must not ex-
pect to popularize themselves with
the officeholders or with the liberal
spenders. Even the Administration
which devotes itself relentlessly to
such work must understand that it
will lose a good deal of immediate
loyalty on the part of a certain class
of politicians, which will not be
compensated to II at once in the ap-
probation of the public for the public
will not have the deep, immediate
interest. or the active concern. which
will animate the person who finds
himself being pried loose from the
purse strings
Is THANKLEss TASK.
Nevertheless, thankless and un-
gracious as the task will be for
most OF those who devote their
efforts to it, IT must and will be
attacked. II Is being attacked with
all determination. Something can
be done even pending the effective
Inauguration of the budget and the
survey OF the joint committee to-
ward lettering conditions. In all
the departments, 1 may say to you.
this sort of work is already prog
ressing under executive orders
within the power of the executive.
We shall need the full support
OF enlightened public opinion, and
realizing this, / am glad that such
bodies as the Academy OF Political
Science, the United States Chamber
of Commerce, the engineering
societies and business organizations
generally. are studying and discus
sing these questions. Out of such
counsels will come truer apprecia-
tion OF the difficulties and magni-
tude of government business,
larger sense OF public responsibility
and a highly desirable cooperation
between public and private business
for the common good.