The Washington herald., 1922-03-08
DATA ON SAVING
OF GOVERNMENT
TO BE REVEALED
President and Budget Di.
rector to Give House
Committee Details.

Director Dawes are preparing to
tell the House Appropriations
Committee just where and how the
economy program OF the admins
tration has been successful.
The question Is of more than
passing interest. since economic
and fiscal issues are to figure so
largely in the coming Congress
sional campaign.
In fact. II was Democratic
inquiry that prompted Harding to
ask Dawes, to tell Congress all
details Of how money had been
saved.
Representative Byrns. Democrat.
OF Tennessee, calling attention to
the claim OF Dawes that sl04. .000, 900
had been saved indirectly and
s32.0oo.000 Directly in six months.
offered a resolution asking specific
Information. At the request of
Representative Madden. Republican, n,
chairman of the Appropriations
Committee. Byrns did not press
his resolution for passage. Mad
den said he would communicate e
with the President, and expected
ito be able to obtain the informa-
tioH without dlmculty.
Deficiency Questioaed.
Byrns said that II the savings
actually had been made. he wanted
to know why 1t was necessary to
report out deficiency appropriation
bills. One for sI0s.00e, 900 now 10
pending: previously one for $780,
100000 had been passed, and $50
100000 had been granted the Ship
ping Board.
The savings claimed. Byrns
thought. might be utilized instead
OF passing additional appropria-
tions.
So the Bureau of the Budget. at
the request OF President Harding,
Is preparing the intorma tion sought,
and will transmit it TO the COM
mittee.
The president. in communicating
with Dawes. expressed hope that
he would convey such a statement
Of facts bearing thereon. as may
insure a consideration OF the en-
tire situation. thus obviating pos
sible misconceptions which might
arise from any partial or incom-
plete statement"
In view OF the Importance of
having both Congress and the puL-
lie understand clearly the opera
tons of the Budget Buearu." the
President wrote. II desire you to
give. wherever details are possible,
not only a statement of such help
full savings as have been estimated,
but in addition thereto. the esti-
mate OF the bureau of the indirect
savings. which kave been made pos
sible by. the inauguration OF the
new method Of conducting routine
business of government.
Details Requestcd.
You should detail such transac-
tions as have been consummated
under executive and departmental
initiative. under the budget system,
which have MADE unnecessary many
requests for additional funds for
expenditures during the current
fiscal year, and have resulted in
savings measurable in cash, based
upon the consideration OF the trans
actions themselves
The President went on TO say the
indirect savings he has in mind re-
suited from better systems of pur-
for departments and selling
surpluses. and savings through in
use of facilities.
Dawes was told he might take
such time as was needed to make
the fullest possible report"
Ordinarily, the President said,
completion of the full fiscal year
might he awaited.
But. he said. there is such un-
usual interest in the reduced cost
of government that l am content to
make this additional imposition on
your time in order to give Congress
and the public the fullest possible
revelation of reduced expenditures -
Savings Hard to Determine.
Dawes. in writing to the Presi-
dent. declared "in business SO
large as that OF the government.
no simple methods exist to deter
mine what real savings are"
Byrns' resolution, he said. was
drawn in such a way that the i'm
preston might be created that the
request for deficiency appropria-
tions was inconsistent with the
bureaus announcement as to saw
inEs effected.
This. of course. is not the case
he declared.
Dawes went on to point out that
consideration of money appropriated
and the amount unspent at tho
end Of a year was not the true
test.
The proper way to determine
what savings have been made in
government business is to consider
all the facts" Dawes said. adding
that the requested Information
would he snnnlied