Evening star., 1923-06-18

000, 900 as late as May. The budget
! bureau set the estimated deficit at
$69T 100000 last July, to which later
| was added $125, ,O00,0 900 in payment on
war savings stamps, which the budget
felt should have been charged against
several years. but which was finally
added in a lump sum to this years
financing. In January the deficit was
$s2, 100000.
Gen. Lord Speaks.
Instead of piling one deficiency
bill on top of another with frantic
appeals at the last minute to Con-
gress for funds to complete their
fiscal year, government departments
under budgetary reform have changed
their system to try to live within
their appropriations. Director Lord
of the bureau OF the budget declared
in his address. This year, in fact
the actual net deficiency for the
whole government, he pointed out.
was only 100000.
This amount was of course not the
total OF all supplemental and def
cheney estimates, but did represent,
he claimed, "the total of actual def
cienCies."
!, Such result, Gen. Lord declared
had been due to cooperation on the
part Of all. in response to the Presi-
dents call for efficiency and econ
omy. which in this particular item,
he said. had been stressed by the
President in letter of April 80. 1921,
as follows:
Dangerous Tendency.
Il do not know of any more danger
Gus tendency in the administration
of governmental departments, and 1
am very sure that we can never fix
ourselves firmly on a basis OF econ
omy until the departments are con-
Quoted within the provisions made
by Congress"
call by the President ";here has been
noticeable. continuing progressive
reduction in the number and amount
or deficiency estimates submitted to
'It Is true" he added. there should
have been a lesseninE of the number
and amount of such requests as the
war period receded. but constant ex-
well within the limits Of appropria-
tions has been the controlling and de-
termining factor. This year has been
notable in that respect. The total of
all supplemental and deficiency esti-
mates submitted to Congress during
this fiscal year amounted to $236.4l1,-
166, Congress appropriating thereon
$233,Sb3,365. OF this amount less than
tive control, while approximately
$4,000 represented the total of actu-
al DEFICIENCIES.
Use Of Remainder.
THE remainder was needed for
claims, judgments. refund OF taxes. to
provide for laws enacted and agree
ments entered into after submission
of the regular estimates, for scrap
ping naval vessels under the treaty,
| for undermining battleships. for in
surance of war veterans. for needs
| of the postal service, and for expenses
| incurred because of the coal and rail-
| road strikes. The imposition of exec
| utive pressure and more scientific es,
| timating have practically eliminated
!! deficiencies"
The fight to balance the budget for
Uncle Sam, and its attendant difn-
culties, together with a number of
| amusing sidelghts were reviewed IN
high points of President Harding S
revelations on the government econ
omy program and got down to brass
tacks. including stories on soap,
brooms. towels, upper berths' rail-
| road tickets, etc.
1
budgetary system. and the co-ordt-
nation of the routine business OF the
government in many ways, Gen: LORD
was frank to explain that ~hlle we
felicitate ourselves and the country
on the successful outcome OF our
campaign, a large measure of credit
must be given to extraordinary In
creases in receipts. with especial ref-
erence to customs, while actual ex-
penditures from capital funds will be
many millions less than We estimated
on July l would be the case.
Means of Success.
without the help of these i'm
portant factors" he said. "unex-
pectedly large receipts. and reduc-
tions in estimated capital fund ex-
penditures-we would have ended the
wear short of the desired goal-a bal
anced budget. If, however, we had
not effected material reduction in the
operattng expenses of the govern
ment, we would still have failed,
and balanced budget would nave
proved an iridescent and disappoint- :
Ing dream, rather than a triumphant
realization.
The Importance Of building up the
general reserve from appropriations,
to guard against emergency, was em-
pIasized by Gen. Lord, who said the
bureau of the budget would require
for the coming year reports of ap-
porttonments made under the pro-
visions Of the anti-deficiency act. and
also quarterly statements OF actual
expenditures or obligations against
such appointments"
The upper berth situation was re-
ferred to in a discussion by the gen
eral of Economy With Efficiency"
The chief Of one of the Agricultural
Departments big bureaus, said Gen.
Lord, had requested one OF his assist
ants to procure Pullman reservations
for the western trip.
During the journey. Gen. Lord
said, "the bureau chief slept in an
tion that an upper cost the govern
silences any criticism the bureau
chief may have been disposed to
make. With this concrete example of
where savings can be made, is it too
much to expect that from now on all
officials travelling on government
business will be found luxuriating in
the better air and higher altitude of
upper berths?"
Needless Travelling.
Great savings had been effected,
Gen. Lord said, by the collector of
internal revenue in Ohio by cutting
| out the needless travelling.
Tribute was paid to the chief CO.
| ordinator, Col. II. c. Smither; his i'm
| mediate assistants, the members of