The Washington times., 1923-10-27
COOLIDGE Will
FIGHT BUDGET
FOES
Exposure Of Plot by Hearst
Papers Brings Threat Of
White House Veto.
Continued from First Page)

Of appropriating more than $S,UUU.'
OOO, 900 which the Government needs
to run it's business,
It was said the public may feel
safe in assuming that President
Coolidge regards the budget as
permanent achievement OF value,
that 1t is here to stay, tina the ct.
forts to annihilate it will doubtless
prove to be incipient.
While President Coolidge Ii BIAS
ing a path oh own, formulating q
campaign that will give birth to
what the country win look upon as
distinctly Coolidge policies" he Isl
in full accord with the late Prest-
dent Harding's attitude on the bud
! get. That attitude was suTnmar-
ICED by Mr.. Harding when he said
| in his budget message to the last
Congress: II may say without fear
Of exaggeration that we have been
during the past two years CO.
| laborers in the greatest reform in
our financial history.
Cards ON the Table.
Under the budget system the
heads Of all Government depart
ments present to Gen. H. NJ. Lord,
director Of the Budget Bureau. their
estimates Of how much money needed
to run their departments for the en-
suing year. General Lords forces
call upon the department heads to
lay their cards upon the table.
prove that you need that much" is
the fiat hurled at them.
The budget requests can be cut or
increased by General Lord. They
then go to President Coolidge for
his approval or rejection and are
sent to Congress in the final form
approved by the President.
Congress thus has before it COM
prehensive, all-inclusive recommcn-
dation of how much ought to be APP
propriated to run the Government.
The budget contains the recon-
mendationa of how much should be
expended to carry out the Govern
ment's policies which have already
been established by law. Congress
can alter them, subject to the final
approval of the President. Congress
can establish new enterprises of
provisions to finance the new de-
partures.
Has Saved 500, O0O, 900.
The Budget Bureau, which has
been in operation two years, has
slashed more than $500 700, 900 from
the estimates submitted by the Gov
ernment's department chiefs. That
slashing has been approved by Con.
gress.
since 1890 the estimates of the
department heads have been re.
duced by the enormous sum OF
$23, O00, OOO, 900, land the country
has gone along quite WELL" said
General Lord.
Being mean is not a pleasant
task" said General Lord, 'but I
feel that the public. whose money
is being saved, approves Of 1t.
What Congress would do IL left
to pursue it's own way without re-
striction was indicated by the rivers
and harbors appropriation of last
year.
The budget said $27. 100000 was
enough for the approved rivers and
harbors developments. Congress
appropriated $57,0O0,0O0 for them.
Congress effected about $37 1000. 900
of savings in other directions, how
ever, and thus effected a net saw
pretty" when its rivers and harbors
appropriations went to the Presi.
dent.
It also held back the budget until
very late when a veto might have
been damaging to the financial
structure of the nation. President
Coolidge has had experience with
legislatures that might try such
tricks.
There is a definite opinion here
that Congress will not dare attempt
to destroy the budget system as a
whole. The repeal would require a
special act of Congress and approval
by the President.
Trades for Pork" Cited.
In the good old days Of pork bar
rel manipulation" appropriation
bills in the House were handled by
from eight to fourteen committees
and in the Senate by nine commit
tees.
One committee passed on river
widenings and harbor deepenings.
Postoffice buildings were authorized
by another. Still another dealt our
armories, forts and arsenals to
worthy and influential members of
the majority party.
II Representative Jones couldn't
get Squad river widened by the riv.
ers and harbors committee, he would
hold up Representative Smiths
scheme to get new armory for
Squashville.
The Joneses and Smiths would
then begin to trade and in the end
they would have enough votes to
force through dozens of pork" bar.
rel bills for the dozens of Representa-
tives interested, involving hundreds
Of millions of the publics money.
These practices were abolished--at
IeaHt they were concentrated where
they could be watched by the public
more easily--when the budget sys-
tenn provided that appropriations
should be handled by one committee
in each the Senate and House. The
theory was that a single committee
could view the appropriations Of the
nation as a whole and could effect
a policy that would be In keeping
with the nations pOcketbook
Mourn for "Sky Limit"
Here comes the army" says the
committee. "They need so much.
And now the navy. What must VIC
spend to enforce prohibition? There
is the Panama canal. The canal
and the postoffice will be on a pay
ing basis this year. That will leave