The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-02-22

| FIeSlueuC, anu wien Tie gross OK
penditures of the government wer
| about One-quarter of what they ar,
| now, he became exercised and con
cerned about the higgledy-piggledy, un
scientific, disorderly, grab-bag methods
by which your money was expended
for public purposes. He said theI
what is equally true now, that the
activities of the national government
ARE almost as varied as those Of the
entire business world. The operations
of the government affect the interes
Of every person living within the
Jurisdiction Of the United States. Its
organization embraces stations and
centers of work located In every city
and in many local subdivisions of the
country.
This vast organization has never
been studied in detail as one piece
of administrative mechanism. Never
have the foundations been laid for q
thorough consideration Of the relations
of all its parts. No comprehensive eff
fort has been made to list its multi
in such a way as to present a clear
picture of what the government is
doing. Never has a complete descrip-
ton been given Of the agencies through
which these activities are performed.
AT no time has the attempt been
made to study all Of these activities
and agencies with view to the as
signment of each activity to the
agency best fitted for its performance,
to the avoidance Of duplication Of
plant and work. to the Indignation OF
all administrative agencies Of the
government, so far as may be
practicable, into a unified organization
for the most effective and economical
dispatch Of public business"
This extraordinary and indefensible
situation, which exists today as fully
and completely as it did when Mr..
Taft portrayed 1t seven years ago.
came about quite naturally and simply
through our tolerance and slackness.
For years and years the government
lived and grew and extended its ac-
tivities on Santa Claus money. Its in
come came as easily as money In
letter. For years and years the
national income was greater than the
expenses. Every year there was a
surplus.
The government was precisely in the
position of the Rockefellers and the
Carnegies and the Rothschilds. It's
problem was not how to get money
enough to live on, but how to spend
its income. 1t naturally got in the
way Of throwing some of it to the
BIRDS 1t lived like remittance man.
You may remember that back in the
time Of the first Cleveland administra-
tion one of the problems Of public |
discussion was: "What shall be done |
with the surplus?" Then there was
,hange Of administration and Corporal
Tanner was made commissioner of |
pensions. The whole country was
unused and had hearty laugh when
se announced his policy: "God help
he surplusw Them. was the halcyon
lays!
Mr.. Gilbert, the present undersecre-
airy of the treasury, In an address
aid:
"The estimates for the year 1920
how that over billion dollars of ex-
enditures were authorized by the last
essiOn of congress in addition to the
mount shown in the usual compiled
tatements Of appropriations. In fact,
he practice has reached such proper
ons as to be almost a national
candal. and 1t was vigorously de-
ounced In the Presidents last annual
essage.
1T has become the first principle
strategy on the part of people In ;
rested In appropriations for various
)ecial purposes to frame the matter +
, as to authorize the use Of the '
1blic funds indirectly, or in indefinite
rms, or by authorization for ex-
,nditure Of unexpended balances, per-
bps appropriated originally for other I
lrposes, or by authorizations to
vert government receipts before they
er reach the treasury. Efforts are .
ade to find general words which do \
It speak in terms of appropriations F
ID cannot be readily calculated. t
"The last session Of the present p
ngress, for example, authorized adj
tional expenditures out of balances Il
prior appropriations and from re- q
ipts to the amount Of over $500, OO0,-
0, including over $4OO,00O,OOO for the "
tipping board. The present ses- =,
IN of congress by similar procedure y,
kes credit for refusing appropria- +,
ms for the shipping board, but, at Il
2 same time, purposes to authorize p
. expenditure of receipts in amounts m
1T may reach as high as $20O,OOO,-
J. BY the indefinite appropriation >
: the railroad guaranty about $780, u
1000 was in effect appropriated
thout appearing in any of the state
l.