Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-01
"HeLL and Maria"
DaUes' job Done
Continued from Pare Ono

Continued from Pare Ono
printed here, for this paper is intended
10 circulate through the mails.
don't know how the president with
n flow Of words nevtr before heard on
a campus made out In the college, but
"Hell and Maria" was one OF the
things which put Dawes over as
budget Director. TO start. saving
among people who have been In the
habit Of spending like drunken sailors
requires largely a psychological change.
You can't do it with an account sys.
TEN and lot of rules. You need some.
thing that jars the spenders as Hell
and Maria" coming from the lips OF
college president jars the faculty.
General Dawes started on his job rs
licity of his House committee testi-
mony. He had the authority of n per.
sonality. He was an iconoclast. He
had, moreover, the authority Of a great
business success which was important
as impressing the little bureau chiefs
who had hitherto been a law unto
themselves. And again he had the au-
thority of political position. He was
Republican of standing and influence.
Budget System Not Now
A Republican Of standing could not
have put over the budget. Even Re-
publican of standing. who was also
great business man, might not have done
so. But a Republican Of standing who
was n great business man and had also
n Hell and Maria reputation could
and General Dawes was all there.
We speak Of the budget system with
awe as If 1t were some tremendous
novelty that would somehow snve us.
We have always had n budget system,
but rather loose one. Congress COM
mittees would look over estimates has
tily, bring them into harmony and make
appropriations. What Congress COM
mittccs used to do In few weeks
is now an all.year- round job with a
permanent bureau In charge Of 1t.
When the housewife looks over the
outgrown clothes Of little Willie and
finds suit that will do for little
Sammy she is budget system. 1t is
Just such savings as this has been q
large part Of General Dawes work.
As an illustration Of the sort Of
thing Dawes has accomplished, the
Coast and Geodetic Survty was In need
Of two new ships, and asked an apro-
priation of 81 ,O00, 900. Dawes found
that the navy had a great number Of
mine swecpers. better fitted for the
work Of the Gcodctic Survey than the
vessel it had sought to acquire. He
suggested that the navy turn over two
mine sweepers to the Gcodetic Survey
Theodore Roosevelt. acting Secretary
of the Navy. protested with the same
force and energy that characterized his
distinguished father. He declared that
there was no warrant whatever for
81. tIo 20 ~, t,,,o G..
class ships without direct compensa-
ton. President Harding had finally to
be called into the controversy. but in
the end the navy gave up the ships.
Then Mr.. Dawes discovered that the
vessels needed about $4,000 worth Of
rcpnirs, for which the Coast and Geodetic
Survey had no appropriation. He told
Mr.. Roosevelt that these ships should be
repaired before they left the hands Of
the navy. and that the cost should be
met from the naval repair approptia-
ton.
Again there was a great howl of pro.
test. but again the Budget Director had
his way. The ships were turned over to
before they possibly could have acquired
them otherwise; the navy got rid of
two of its numerous white elephants" ="
and Secretary Mellon kept 81 900, 900
of the taxpayers money that would 9th.
crwisn have been expended locked in his
vaults.
This is only one of many illustrations
of the transfer Of materials from one
department to another. A saving of
$27. 600 900 has been effected in this
way alone.
Many Savings Effected
CHANGING through the detailed item
in the report of the Budget Director.
we discover that on October / fifteen
dollars was saved by having a three
ton truck furnished the Edgewater
Arsenal by the Navy Department. and
that S032SS was saved in the Wash
ingon Postofiice by the use of War
Department trucks during the Christ
mas holidays. Through system of
checking up the use of the telegraph
in the State Department. including
methods Of coding and routing. $13O. 300
was saved in nine months. In the War
Department n change in the size of
steel filing cabinets resulted in an
economy Of $3.50. while the adoption
of Il plan of using blank paper. in lieu
of printed form in another case
saved the department $3.50.
There Is nothing spectacular in all
this. but for tn is very reason it re.
Quircd force to do 1t. General Dawes
had the force.