Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-06
DAWES TO BATTLE I.
HARD|NG'S CRITICS
Economy Program Is Realized,
Budget Director ls Ex-
pected to Show
REPORT DUE IN TWO WEEKS

Washington, April 6.-President
Harding is preparing to hand the econ
omy critics of his Administration a
solar .plexus knockout. 1t will take the
form Of a report by Charles G. Dawes,
Budget Director, now nearing COM
pletion, which will show that executive
pressure rclentlessly applied during the
first year Of budgetary operation has
accomplished unprecedented results.
According to advance indications, the
Dawes report will reveal in particular
that the 1921 estimates Of what could
be accomplished in the way Of depart
mental stewardship have materialized
within 2 per cent.
General Dawes report will be sub. :.
mitted to Representative Madden, OF
Illinois, chairman Of the House Com
mittee on Appropriations. 1t is the out.
growth Of an attack on the Bureau OF
the Budget launched on February by
Representative Byrns, Democrat. OF
Tennessee, which claimed that pending
requests for deficiency appropriations
(SiSO, ,7O4. .2S1) blanketed the direct
saving of S32, 900, 900 and the indirect
saving Of S1O4 900 900 claimed by Cen
eral Dawes during the preceding SIX
months. The Tennessee Democrat 90.
tained the passage Of a resolution Gazing
upon the President to show chapier
and verse evidence for the Budset
Bureaus figures. That Is what eeherai
Dawes is about to supply.
Shows How Congress Can "Save"
One of the great demonstrations OF
budget operation has been to teach
money spending departments Of the
|Goyernment that the law doesn't require
them to expend all the funds appro..
priated for their purposes. General
Dawes has hammered in that doctrine,
dav in and day out. There has been
n long standing and time -honored ira.
dition to the contrary in Washington.
The Forthcoming report also may. be
expected to call attention to the falla :
cious ease with which Congress can
apparently "save" taxpayers money.
Ali that Congress, either upon its own
or executive initiative, has to do in
order to "save" is, at the beginning OF
the fiscal year, to appropriate SO lavish :
ly that by no possibility could the funds
he snent' Then, at the end of the
wear. Congress has only to Save TN
lncxpended portion, having incidentally
also avoided the annoying necessity OF
deficiency appropriations.
Savings Achieved
Among the ''indirect savings
achieved during the year, which now
has only three months to run, are those
First. A corrected system of Gov
ernment purchasing, by which compe-
tition among the departments, with re.
sultant overlapping and requirement Of
unnecessary supplies. was avoided.
Second. A more businesslike dis
position, under unified system, Of sur
nlus stocks owned by the Government.
Third. More economical use of gov.
ernmental facilities and supplies. con-
seauent upon CO. ordination directed by
executive order.
Under ordinary circumstances there
would have been no attempt to review
the results of the initial year of budget
ary practice until full twelvemonth
of It had come and gone. 1t is Presi
dent Harding's thought that the coun /.
try's interest in reduced cost of gov
ernment Is so intense and widespread
that Director Dawes should go to bat
on nine months results. Those appear
to be of such convincing character that
Administration leaders are confident
they will effectively establish that the
budget is a palpable and not paper
success.