The Washington times., 1923-10-30
BACK
BUDGET
LAW
Line Up to Fight Any Return to
Old Pork Barrel System.
Their Opinions.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

thority to the several committees.
Such a step would mean that the
spending of the public funds would
no longer be impartial, but would
be swayed by the selfish and preJu-
diced desires of individual members.
Representative opinion follows:
By SENATOR IRVINE L. LEN
ROOT Of Wisconsin In my opinion
there is not the slightest possibility
of the budget system being abolished.
1 believe any Senator or Congress
man who would favor such a move
would find swift condemnation from
his constituents.
'In my opinion it Is the greatest
step forward in conducting the busi-
ness of the government that has ever
been taken. M
Like any new system, defects may
be found, and improvements can be
made: but the only way the budget
system will be affected will be by
Improvement, and there is no danger
of the repeal of the act.
BY SENATOR REED SMOOT Of
Utah, chairman, Senate Finance
Committee There is not one
chance in a million that the budget
act will be repealed In fact, its op-
ponents cannot get a cOrporal'S
guard in either the House or Sem
ate for its repeal. The budget sys-
tenn already has proven its worth.
There can be no more trading for
appropriations in future, or as long
as the budget is in operation. We
have splendid man as head of the
budget system in General Lord. No
better can be found in this or any
other country"
BY SENATOR PAT HARRISON,
Of Mississippi.-tI have been an aG-
vocate Of the budget system for
many years. It was a Democrat
President who first recommended
budget, and he was backed up in
that by practically every Democratic
Senator and Congressman in Con-
gress. When President Wilson
vetoed the budget act, he did it on
constitutional grounds, and pleaded
with the Congress to repass it with
the unconstitutional provisions
eliminated. It is a tribute to his
wisdom that, in passing the act, TIE
Congress followed his suggestions.
BY CONGRESSMAN JOHN #.
MILLER, Of Washington. This is
all news to me. ! haven't had the
slightest inkling of such a plot and
don't believe it will get to first base.
The Federal budget law is new, and
the system is yet in the formative
stages. Maybe it can be improved.
n NJ tn 20 81
ping it now that we have made some
steps toward Federal economy"
By CONGRESSMAN JOHN f.
SUMMERS, of WashingtOn.-'The
budget has helped us to cut our Fed.
eral expenditures hundreds of mil
lions of dollars. ] will oppose to
the last ditch any and all efforts to
abolish the budget and go back to
the old system"
By SENATOR SAMUEL M.
SHORTRIDGE, of CaIifornia.-"It
is astonishing that anyone should
propose or even consider the aboli-
ton Of the Federal budget system
and a return to the old unscientific
haphazard and wasteful manner Of
conducting the Governments bust
ness"
By Senator Edwin F. Ladd of
North DakOta.-'I have been fam.
liar with budget systems for twenty
years. 1t is, in my Judgment, the
only sound system there is In the
conduct of municipal, county, state
and national fiscal affairs.
believe, however, that the
budget system may be abused by
imposing unwise restrictions and by
depriving the proper authorities of
sharing in the legislative enactment
Of the same.
The budget system as used dur
ing the past year is not without
fault and that was clearly indicated;
but that was not the weakness of
the system; 1t was in the failure of
those who lacked experience and
sought to hedge 1t about with re-
strictions that might make against
the best interests Of the govern
ment.
ITO abolish the budget system
would, in my judgment, be a seri-
Gus mistake and a step backward;
but to perfect and develop it and
give 1t its true place as a budget
system is intended to be, is in
direct interest of economy and
sound business. But because of
bad administrative features that
crept into its preparation, this can
not be considered justification for
abandoning it,"
BY Senator Tasker l.. Oddre Of
Nevada am a member of the
committee Of expenditures in execu-
tive departments which passed on
the budget legislation. am
strongly in favor of the budget sys-
tenn. Like every new system, i'm
provements will be found necessary,
and can and should be made. AS
years go by, this will happen in the
present budget system, with the re-
suit that it will become far more eff
fectiVe in the future.
Il am confident the few oppo-
nents Of the budget system cannot
muster sufficient strength in the
next or any other Congress to re-
peal the act. 1t is a step forward;
let us not go backward"
plication in all departments of the
Federal Government in order that
Il Il