The Washington herald., 1921-03-08
Sen. McC Cormick Works
For Presentation at
Early Date.
FORMER MEASURE
DEFEATED BY VETO
Number of Lucrative
Jobs in Bureau Provided
By Terms.


nearly new national budget bill will
be introduced at the forthcoming
session of Congress, and that Sena-
tor Medill Mccormick, Of Illinois,
chairman of the special committed
which was appointed to prepare the
measure, will return here about
March Is to make ready for its
presentation at the earliest oppor-
tune moment.
At Senator McCormick's office in
the Senate Office Building yesterday
il was announced that he had been
in Chicago for some time, but PROP
ably would return by the 18th.
though the date was not definite.
Vetoed by Wilson.
The bill which passed Congress
last year was vetoed by President
Wilson because of his objection to
the clause authorizing the removal
of the Comptroller General by con-
current resolution of Congress, was
amended to meet the objection of
the former President, placing this
power in the hands of the Chief
Executive.
The bill as reported by Senator
Smoot June last was among the
16O-odd bills that died with the old
calendar, and would require rein
production before it could be acted
upon in any form. The wrangle
over the Federal employees bonus
system, which nearly defeated the
Legislative, executive and judicial
appropriations bf1l a week or so be-
fore the Inauguration, resulted in
general demand for the establish
ment Of the budget system. Sena-
tor Smoot announced on the floor
during the bonus debate that he
would never support another bonus
appropriation, and that he hoped the
new budget system would be in full
operation before the next appropri-
alton time rolled around.
Changes Unknown.
What changes the old budget bill
will undergo in it's preparation for
reintroduction could not be learned
in the absence of Senator McCor-
mick. 1t authorized $225.0o0 appro-
priation for the establishment of a
budget bureau, of which the Secre-
tary- of the United States Treasury
would be the director.
An assistant director at an annual
salary of $4,000 would be provided.
Who would get this nice plum IL the
proposed changes do not affect it
will be the subject of no little con-
Germ among the horde of job-hunt-
ers still infesting Washington.
The Budget Bureau probably will
have several $1,000 jobs and nu-
merous smaller ones. In each de-
partment of the government, as
provided in the old bill, there would
be a budget official, with RESPONSE
bility to the Budget Bureau, and
this important feature of the bill
probably will be allowed to stay
in it.
Detailed Study.
THE bureau shall make a detailed
study of the departments and estab-
lishments." says the original bill,
for the purpose of enabling the
President to determine what
changes (with a view of securing
greater economy anu efficiency in
the conduct of public service)
should be made in G) the existing
organizations, activities and meth
DDS of business; (2) the appropria-
tions therefor; (3) the assignment
of particular activities to particular
services, or a. the regrouping of
service. The result of such study
shall be embodied in a report or
reports to the President, who may
transmit to Congress such report or
reports or any part thereof with his
recommendations on the matters
covered thereby.
Code of Laws.
The bureau shall prepare for the
President" the. bill says, "a codifi-
cation OF all laws or parts of laws
relating to the preparation and
transmission to Congress of receipts
and expenditures of the government
and of estimates of appropriations.
The President shall transmit the
same to Congress on or before jan
uary 1, 1922, with recommenda tions
as to changes in laws"
The powers and duties relating to
the compiling Of estimates now rest
ing with the Division of Bookkeep-
ing and Warrants of the Treasury
Department., would be transferred
to the Budget Bureau under the
original bill. These few essential
features will be left in the new
measure, ii is understood.