Evening star., 1922-02-04
The Dawes Simile.

of which he is so adept q master,
Charles G. Dawes, director of the
budget, yesterday expounded to his
official. audience his conception of the
relationship between Congress and the
budget bureau. The legislative and
executive heads Of the government
determine how the ship sails" he
said. and the budget bureau deter
mines how far she sails" And again.
IF Congress should decide that gar.
bage should be spread upon the White
House steps-much as We love the
President-it would be for the budget
bureau to advise how the largest
amount of garbage could be spread in
the most economic manner"
+" Director Dawes theory as to legisla-
tive. executive and budget relation
ships would seem to be the sound and
posed that in creating the bureau Of
which the vigorous and picturesque
general is the head the executive and
congressional authorities proposed to
'relinquish thereto their responsibility
for determining the projects essential
to the forward march of the nation or
any section thereof. Most certainly
il is the duty of Congress. advised BY
the competent executives, to deter.
mine what is to be done. and of the
budget bureau to determine how to
carry out the congressional decisions
with the largest economy.
7a-Yet in the case Of the District Of Co
lumbia at least that relationship. prop
erly admitted by Gen. Dawes and, it Is
to be presumed, fully understood upon
Capitol Hill. has been completely re.
versed The District estimates. drafted
by competent executive authority in
the persons OF Commissioners who, in
the words Of Representative Moore,
know best about the needs and neces-
stiles of the District were upon being
sent to the budget bureau cut in items
and figures with extreme severity.
Forwarded from the bureau to Con-
gress. the House committee which re-
ceived them accepted the figures ar
rived at in the process of mutilation
at the hands of the budget bureau as
the maximum which could be appro-
priated. and upon that basis proceeded
to cut those figures on their own part
with perfervid enthusiasm.
Examining the facts. one discovers
that, far from confining itself to the
legitimate functions which Gen. Dawes
asserts belongs to it, the budget bu.
reau has in the case of the District
determined "how the ship sails" Con-
gress, to complete the reversal Of Gen.
Dawes theory, has then-through the
process Of cutting appropriations-de.
:ermined how far
1t was the budget bureau which de-
termined what streets in the District
require attention, and not the Commis-
sioners or Congress. 1t was the budget
bureau which decided that the District
could get along with 100000 less than
the Commissioners deemed necessary
for the removal of refuse and which
made 80 per cent cut in the play
ground appropriation sought. 1t was
the budget bureau and not Congress
which threw out from the estimates
appropriations asked by those who
know best about the needs and neces-
stiles of the District" Of 100000 for
park development, 100000 for munich
pal stables, $1s0.O00 for the Calvert
Street bridge, sa5,ooo for two swim.
ming pools for Fairgrounds. ETC., etc.
The homely and effective simile Of
Gen. Dawes may truly apply to other
sections of the nation. with their in
terests jealously guarded by chosen
representatives upon Capitol Hill. But
in the case of the capital Of the ma.
tion it would appear that the budget
bureau is accorded particular powers,
provided only that 1t use them to cut
the District estimates and leave Con.
gress q free hand to cut them again.