Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-30

Washington, Sept. Zl.-Ihe newly
devised American budget system is fac
ing a crisis which will determine wheth-
er or not our form of government is
adaptable to this method of scientific
finance. For many years the congress
has been besieged with proposals to
enact a budget system as a means of
in~stituting economies and placing re-
ceipts and expenditures of the treasury
in such a form that uncertainty would
be taken put of the government fiscal
operations. Such a system was lnSt1-
tuted something over a year ago n
has been in operation.
General Charles G. Dawes was the
first director general of the budget.
With characteristic vigor he effected
economies in operation of the vast
government machine, cutting out dupli-
cations and saving waste in scores of
ways. 1t is difficult to determine what
is saved in governmental operations
because what might have been spent
is so vaguely potential a quantity that
it is not readily susceptible of reduction
to figures. 1t is generally admitted,
however, that General Dawes admin
istration of the budget cut down waste
and extravaganza to the extent of many
millions of dollars.
On the LIST of July General Dawes
turned the bureau of the budget over
to General II. NJ. Lord. General Lord
is a man of equal, if not greater, vigor.
He has found some fault with details
of bis predecessors administration and
hopes to make even greater savings.
He has intimated that. while much has
been done in the way of economy. the
big task of holding the expenses down
lies still ahead of the bureau of the
budget.
Recently the several executive de-
partments, boards, bureaus and com
missions submitted to the bureau esti-
mates of appropriations for the ensu-
ing year. These figures we're largely
in excess of what the director of the
budget thinks safely can be allowed if a
balance is to be maintained between
receipts and expenditures. The esti-
mates have been sent back for re-
vision and a maximum figure quoted to
1 each department within which it's esti-
mates must stay.
The budget director is proving OBJ
durate He will not relent and give
the various department heads larger
allowances. Every executive in the
government has pet schemes requiring
appropriations and they all fight equal
~ hard for them. The director of the
budget looks the income of the govern
ment ~squarely in the face and if the
estimates of appropriations exceed the
income. he says No" very decisiveIy.
May Appeal to Congress
The next step Of the offended de-
partment is to go straight to CON
gress. The budget bureau will not al
low him funds to carry on important
agricultural experiments, for instance.
7 TIa SntnrngfS GnDna Tnan1hnrG of pnn-
gress and gets special bills introduced
appropriating the desired sums. This
procedure is followed all down the line.
This is where the crisis appears.
The bureau of the budget puts its
o. K. on the restricted, regular items
for maintenance and operation. These
expenses are calculated to take up the
whole income Of the government. Then
come these separate appropriation
arguments in their favor, calling for
millions of dollars in addition.
VIII congress hold the expenses
down to the budget estimates or will
it pass the extra appropriation bills?
If the appropriations are confined to
the budget, the budget system wins.
If the extra appropriation bils are
passed. the budget system is prac-
! tically ~scrapped because it's effective
ness is rendered Fold. Inc very theory
of a budget system is to keep within
certain fixed limits, balancing income
and expenditure. In such a system the
toes of a good many government of
ficials are trod upon rather ruthlessly
because items must be slashed from
the estimates to make the figures
balance. If congress calmly walks
| around the budget and adds various
kinds of special appropriation bills,
the whole purpose Of a budget is de
feated and the same situation obtains
as before the budget bill became a
law.
The question will be threshed out
in congress at the session this winter
and it is expected there will be fire
works in the process. The president
strongly upholds the budget system
and has declared unequivocally that