Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-06-19
U. S. GOVERNMENT
HAS LIVED WITHIN
INCOME PAST YEAR
A Signal Achievement" De.
clares President Harding
In Address
Deficit Of $S:3,O0O Confronted Treas
ury Last July - Feels Confident
Will Be Able to Make Greater Ac-
complishmcnt During Next Fiscal
Year - Brigadier General Lord
Says He Intends to Be Hard Task
Master

Washington. June 1S.-The govern
mcnt has accomplished the task of
! living within its income in the past
13 months and has accumulated a sur
plus of two hundred million dollars in
addition. President Harding said today
in speech at a meeting of dcpart-
mont heads and bureau division chiefs,
constituting the governments bust
ness organization. Further reductions.
he said would be made in expenditures
| in the coming year.
The record, the president said, is
the more important since the fiscal year
was inauguratcd last July / with a
deficit confronting the treasury of
! SS23.0 900. To this signal achieve
mcnt. Mr.. Harding declared. should
be added the fact that in addition to
wipinE out the deficit and accommodating
a surplus. the campaign for efficiency
ana economy had resulted in actual cx-
penditurcs of the government being cut
| Scob, o00,o00 in the last l. months be-
low the ordinary expenditures for the
year ending last June 80.
! In a few days" the president said.
! we commence another fiscal year and
| feel confident that al its close we will
be able to point to even great achieve
mcnts in our campaign for rctrcnch-
| mcnt, economy and efficiency, than
have been accomplished this current
year The appropriations for the COM
| ing fiscal year amount in round figures
to 5000. 600. which is 1924 900, 600
less than the appropriations for the
current fiscal year. AS compared with
| the estimate presented to Congress the
| appropriations for 1924 are but ST.
| $4,000 less than the amount asked for
| in the budget and the estimates sup
elemental thereto.
Action by Congress on tho estimates
for 1924 therefore amounted TO prac-
| teal ratification Of the budget and the
supplemental estimates. This in itself
shows how carefully. how painstaking
~. were the estimates prepared and is
a source of much qualification to the
! chief executive.
"A revised estimate just completed
indicates that the ordinary receipts for
1924 Will amount in round figures to
S3.63S, t00,0 600 and that the cXpcndi-
lures, including $507 .O00. 600 for public
debt reduction, will total $366S, 000, 900.
This Indicates a deficit of $30.00t,00
| This deficit must not only be wiped
out. but we must close the coming
year with a substantial balance to our
credit. Ii is my earnest desire that the
expenditures for the coming year. eX-
Guiding the five hundred million dol
lars for debt reduction, be kept within
three billion dollars. | expect
YOU ali to effect some savings from
your opriations for the coming ifs
cal Year.
The coming fiscal year will af-
ford US a real opportunity to de-
monstrate our ability to carry on the
policy by economy in the conduct of
business and retrenchmen. in eX-
penditures. Congress has granted
for that year funds approximately in
the amounts requested by the Chief
executive as being necessary to carry
on the governments business. TO
accomplish what is necessary to be
done with limited amount of funds,
as will be the ease this coming fiscal
year, and at the same time effect
savings. affords an opportunity for
really distinguished service | am
sure that YOU all welcome this OPP
portunity and that you will enter
upon the coming year with firm
resolve to make a new record in ef-
ficiencv and economy in the transac-
ton of the business of government.
Washington. June 1S-The story of
what the government does with its
money and a lesson on how to save
were given President Harding and
his cabinet members and their sub
ordinates today by Brig. Gen. Lord.
director of the budget. in speech
at the semi annual meeting of the
governments business organiza-
ton"
The occasion was characterized by
General Lord as one for 'juhilation
and Generalization over a record OF
constructive accomplishment" but
he warned that the policy of econ
omy was 10 continue and therefore
'playtime" with Federal funds had
passed.
The budget chief made it plain
that he intended to be a hard task
master for those officials who show
ed Discrimination to join earnestly
| in the program of saving. He said
he had recommended that one uni
Identified official be separated from
the government service because he
had telcgraphcd his field workers to
spend al available money before the
end Of the fiscal June 80 and TO let
no appropriation lapse
While there were fortunately rev
of the type 10 which he had refer
red, General Lord said there were
many who thought expenditure to
the limit was justified if they could
claim any increase Of efficiency IN
the work accomplished.
General Lord reviewed the prob
lens encountered and solved by the
governments many executive officers
in the last II months. saying that
when the task Of overcoming the
deficit was begun last July it looked
impossible Of accomplishment. Now
that it is done. however. he told the
organization. it should show the way
70 the performance of even greater
tasks in the forthcoming fiscal year,
when the necessity for reducing ex-
lpcnditurcs. he said. would be just as
imperative as before.