Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-26
CAN YOUR TAXES BE CUT?
A Series of Articles on the Cost of Government;
s- go Where the Money Goes and Why.
BY JOHN F.. SINCLAIR,
Author of Can Europe Hold Together?'

ton. He is a bulldog genius. He
never despaired. He had brains. ex-
perience. tact, resourcefulness, ag-
ground well. He even wrote four
books 1.-TWO were written jointly with
his distinguished brother, w. w. VIII
loughbO on the subject Of govern
ment budgets.
He had a vision. He never quit. He
never lost hope. To such men-the
constructive geniuses of our history
monuments of public gratitude will
some day be raised. II we can af
destruction, why not ever greater ones
to heroes of construction?
A Modest Step Forward.
But to return to the budget bureau
Of 1921. Mark the date. 1t will be
famous as the beginning Of new
era In our financial history.
In q modest way 1t was a step for
was at last to recognize in our life
the function of open International
accounting. referred to as No.
Of our objects. Its introduction has
and less wasteful examination of ap-
preparation bills by Congress. 1t has
done something along the line of CO.
ordinating government purchases. 1t
has for the first time in our history
taken vast chaotic figures of the
Treasury Department and shaken
them idown into classified totals that
begin to tell something. Already it
has effected modest savings and GER
tain economies
On July !, 1922, the director Of the
budget bureau laid down uniform
classification OF accounts for the sew
eral departments. This work was all
prepared by the Institute for Gov
eminent Research. From this record
the annual summaries Of 1929. Of 1924
and of 1925 have already been made.
, From these records the bureau OF
government research. in cooperation
with the Treasury Department, Is now
at work preparing the hrst eompre.
] hensive government balance sheet
ever compiled. It Is nearly completed.
We have made only start. 1t
seems cf,n1inally late to begin. Bill
lions OF dollars Of the peoples money
dam. But the important thing to re-
member is that the beginning has
been made. And II Is IN the right
direction, forward step.
Congress Holds Decision.
say that because the budget law
! prohibits any department head APP
peaitng from the decision of the bud
get bureau directly to Congress. In
{ case of a dispute AS to appropria,-
tons between, let us say, Secretary
Work of the Interior Department and
\
| bureau, Secretary Work may appeal
| from the decision OF Gen. Lord di-
| rectly to the President of the United
States. But Secretary Work cannot
gress itself may either increase or de-
| crease. With Congress rests final
| power.
| There IL no question that definite
| constructive forces are, already at
work which will bring about changes
Flor the better. These forces, first:
! viii deal with the strict technique of
accounting method. Buy they VIII
reach further. They will penetrate
eminent financial structure.
| And they should. No organized
! business in the world is SO bewilder-
| ing. SO far reaching. so vast, as that
! of the United states government.
1 government booksNhave been kept ac-
curate. This was accomplished in the
1 kindergarten days OF national finance.
! The average man employed by Uncle
sam is as honest and as efficient as
1 the average man employed by private
| business. Make no mistake about
| that.
But the far more important object
| OF furnishing an open, clear and con-
| else record OF all financial transac-
| tions, so the people may have &C
| curate and up-to-the-mtnutei nforma
tion as to the actual condition OF our
| a new step for America That step is
now being made. The ground work
lis completed. The superstructure,
under the inspection OF Willoughby,
Brown, Lord & Co. is slowly rising.
1t Is extremely interesting because 1t
| is non-partisan.
| In our next article. we will see just
| what the bureau Of budgets has done
| and is trying to do.
/ Copyright, 1924. IN United States and Great
Britain by North American Newspaper
| Alliance. All rights reserved)
TOmOrrOw-The Bureau of the
Budget-A New Day.