The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-07-25
GUT EXPENSES"
SAYS. PRES|DENT
HIS LAST WORD BEFORE GOING
WEST WAS lNSISTENcE ON
ECONOMY IN BUREAUS.
BUT OBEDIENCE ISN'T EASY
Temptation to Appropriate and De-
mand Large Sums Always Is Strong,
and Besides the Government Ma
chine Is Growing Daily.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK

MISUNDERSTANDING the last
word of instruction of which President
Harding delivered himself before leav-
ing Washington for his western trip
was in effect a word of warning to
the bureau officials of this town, that
they must cut expenses and save
money. The same kind Of a word of
warning has peer uttered by every
president of the United States from
the very beginnings of the government.
The bureaus In Washington are not
spending as much money as they used
to spend. 1t may be that the bureau
chiefs are just as anxious to spend
In h interest of what they consider
progress as they eve were, but the
World war cost the United States a
huge sum of money and the govern
ment feels today that economy in ex-
penditure Is more necessary than eve
1t was.
Cut and prune as they will. however,
the officials in the various departments
have had hard work to bring down
the expenses. 1t should be said in
behalf of these officials that if they
can keep the cost for the present year
at the same figure they were last
year, they are serving economy. be-
cause the government is growing all
the time, and with its growth. the
bureaus grow. Consequently il costs
more money to run the enlarged ma
chinery. The lessons of the past,
however, have taught some of the
government servants where they can
econOmize and yet meet the expenses
of the necessary enlargement of their
field of labor.
Always Want to Spend Big Sums.
How long is the present effort at
economy to last? The history of the
government shows that no matter what
party has been in power. the tempta-
ton to appropriate large sums of
money always has been strong with
the national legislators, and the temp
tation to demand large sums always
has been strong with bureau chiefs.
The desire apparently of every chief
is to see his work expand in order
that it can be of greater service to
the people. The needs of the work,
however, frequently are greater than
congress seemingly Is justified | n
meeting with money"
Today in Washington in many
places there are heard complaints that
the machinery for doing needful things
is crippled by the lack of money and
the necessity for further saving. 1t
is true. apparently, that congress in
refusing at times to make %appropria-
lions for things for which money was
expected has caused a loss to the
country. This seems to be the case
In the agricultural department.
There are those in Washington who
say that a special commission should
be appointed to give consideration to
the subject of the possible saving to
certain communities which additional
appropriations for the work of the
bureaus would insure. This admitted
ly would make it appear as If certain
branches of the government were cost
ing more money than they should
cost. But a study of the situation
quickly would prove that the saving
to the people fully justified the ad-
ditional expenditures.
Now that the budget system of APP
preparations has been installed. the
government probably will save much
money each year that formerly was
wasted. There has been. however.
so far as is known, no attempt to
determine definitely just which bu-
reaus should have more money. be-
cause of their usefulness in saving
none at the other end.
War the Cause Of n OH Taxes.
II there had been no World war it
is probable the present-day insistence
for cutting expenses here would not
he necessary. When the war broke out
Uncle Sam had no chance to think
of economy. All he could think of
was what he had TO get and how he
could get it. The price of things,
such was the hurry. hardly entered in
to the calculation of the governments
service. Deliver, and deliver quick"
was the burden of the words of the
day.
Taxes are terrifically high. and the
adverb probably is not USED inadyised-
". If taxes are to come down.
omy must be practiced, and the budget
system and the warning words of the
President are intended of course to
bring about such a saving that taxes
can be reduced.
Smoot Predicts Bonus Act.
Senator Smoot of Utah, chairman of
the senate committee on finance. has
said recently that congress at its next
session is certain to pass a bonus bill
in behalf of the ~eX-service lei 1t is
understood that Senator Smoot went a
little further than this ard intimated
that there would be enough votes for
the bonus in the house and senate to
pass the measure yer the Presidents
veto in case he should make up his
mind to intervense with his Il forbid"
There probably is no other one
thing, unless it be the League of Ma
lions, on which the opinion of the