The Washington herald., 1921-05-06
BUDGET PLAN
PASSES HOUSE;
VOTE 344 TO9
Bill Goes to Conference
For Agreement
On Terms.
WELFARE BUREAU
ACT INTRODUCED
Two Definite Steps Taken
In Program For
Efficiency.

Passage of the budget bill in the
House late yesterday and the in
PRODUCTION of a measure creating a
department of public welfare mark
ed two definite steps in the admins
tration program for governmental
efficiency.
The budget bill was adopted by
a majority of 344 to 8. A similar
measure already has been passed in
the Senate and the bill now goes
to conference between the two
houses. where differences in the
provisions will be adjusted. BY
July /. the beginning Of the govern
ment's fiscal year, the budget sys-
tenn will be operating in the ex-
penditures and estimates Of the diff
ferent departments.
Amendments Defeated.
Advocates Of the bill defeated er-
forts made by Democrats to amend
the measure So as to limit the term
of office of the Comptroller General
of the Bureau of the Budget to sew
en- years. and to require the ap-
proval of the President before the
Comptroller General could be
ousted.
The House bill would create the
Bureau Of the Budget as a separate
creates the bureau as a division of
hn
Term UnIImited.
Another difference between the
two bills is that under the House
bill the Comptroller General would
be appointed to serve as long as
he is qualified and he could be re-
moved by Congress without the con-
sent OF the President. while the
Senate bill provides that he may be
removed by joint action of the
President and Congress
The House bill provides for two
directing heads. a Director of the
Budget and a Comptroller General.
each of whom would receive S1O,-
900 annually> The director would
prepare the annual estimates and
the Comptroller General would be
the chief auditing officer of the gov
ernment, replacing the present
Comptroller of the Currency.
Speed Welfare Bill.
Early action will be sought on
The bill to create a Department of
Public Welfare, just offered by SEN
ator Kenyon. of Iowa.
kenyon's measure is similar to
one he previously introduced, but
contains alterations suggested by
Brig. Gen. Sawyer. on behalf Of
President Harding.
The new department., as chief Of
which it is said President Harding
hopes to appoint a woman. would
have four divisions-education pub
lie welfare, social service and vet
eran service. Various agencies of
the government. now scattered
through the departments or exist
ing independently. would be con-
solidated under the divisions.
Saving Promised.
. The new department will work
out a decided saving to the govern
ment. as a large number of Offices
are abolished, and their functions
co-ordinated with those OF other
offices."J said Kenyon.
Among the important Offices abol-
ished, Kenyon mentioned these. Di-
rector of the Bureau of War Risk
Insurance, Surgeon General of the
Public Health Service. Commits
sioner Of Education, Chief of the
Children's Bureau. Federal Board
for Vocational Education.
Bureaus to be transferred include
the War Risk Bureau, the Pension
Bureau. the Federal Board for vo-
cational Education, the Public
Health Service. United States Fm-
ployes Compensation Commission,
Bureau of Education.
Kenyon said passage of the bill
will carry out campaign pledge
of the Republican party.