Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-13
BUDGET BUREAU AND
DEPARTMENT HEADS
FACING CONF L|CTS
BY David LAWRENCE
Especial Leased Wire TO The Journsl-Copy-

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Especial Leased Wire TO The Journsl-Copy
right, 192t.)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.-Now
that congress has settled down to
an examination of the various APP
propriat ton bills some of the inside
difficulties between the budget bu-
reau and the heads Of the govern
ment departments are coming to the
surface.
President Coolidge has made his
pledge for economy, but at price
which means controversy. Nearly
all of the cabinet officers endeaN-
Ored to cut down their departmental
expenses, but in many of the annual
reports will be seen the true desires
of these departments.
The army wants to maintain a
certain efficiency. The navy people
are talking about the necessity of
bringing the strength of that force
to the ratio of 1913. Some of the
talk is in justification of appropria-
tiOns requested, and some of it is in
expectation of increases by con-
gress itself in the REIMBURSEMENT or
Encouragement of appropriations.
The public knows only about the
total sums recommended by the de-
partments with the approval of the
president The controversies pre-
ceding those recommendations are
natural sequels 10 the effOrt of the
budget bureau to WELD the ak.
In one instance, there came a direct
conflict on a certain item between
the budget bureau and a cabinet Of
ficer. The latter took the matter to
the president personally.
IF You approve that cut" said
the ca binet officer good naturedlv,
you don't need me or anyone in
my place. Either the budget bureau
runs my department or I do"
The item stayed in the estimate
OF expenses of that department..
Economy and Efficiency Clash
The foregoing incident illustrates
how economy and efficiency may
clash. The budget bureau offers it,
ideas OF what may be cut, but the
cabinet officers feel they are respon-
sible for the proper operation of
their departments, and that any cur
which touches their organizations
president becomes the arbiter in
such disputes, and usually when a
cabinet officer has made a good ar
gument his opinion has been &C
cepted by the chief executive.
This process of using the budget
system has not been in operation
long enough to determine whether in
time cabinet secretaries will resent
what they consider to be outside sug
gestions or rather outside decisions
on matters of policy affecting their
departments.
From the viewpoint of the budget
bureau there is much to be said
about the relatively of various ecOno-
mics. The problem of the budget
bureau is to cut expenses every
where to achieve a certain goal. The
problem of the individual department
IS to maintain certain efficiency. Yet
there will be items viewed as impOr-
tant by cabinet secretary. but
which in the eyes of a budget Of
ficer may be less necessary than an
expenditure in another government
department. The budget bureau
looks at government expenses as a
whole. The cabinet officer sees only
the necessities of his own depart
ment.
Work for President
The general public has little idea
of how important in this connection
has become the deciding power of the
chief executive. He is loaded with
a great deal more detail than ever
before And when his task is done
and the estimates are submitted to
congress. the senate and house begin
to exercise their judgment. Mem
bers Of the various committees are
urged from the outside to insert this
or that item or to cut here and there.
A gain the budget officers opinion
can be sought, and there is oppor
tunity for the revival of controver-
sizes previously aired between the
budget bureau and the department
heads
Congress has shown a disposition
to respect the recommendation of
the budget bureau. To the extent
congress continues to hold it's APP
preparations within the budget will
the long hours Of debate inside the
executive branch of the government
be worth while, but if congress
should add a few appropriations of
its own, as it suggests every SEES
sion, the whole painstaking labor of
the president, his cabinet officers and
the budget director may come to
nauCht. So what the congress does
in committee in the next few weeks
will decide of the new budget.