Evening star., 1925-11-02

"'No'I "Fft''c ~ Ntt Oc puOttSJtcu tOHtOIJOH
Calvin Coolidses money-savers to
whom he has intrusted the leadership
or his economy campaign, number
roughly at the present time 800 per-
sons. of whom more than 80 per cent
are men Of some authority in the
everyday routine OF the Government
service. They have been organized
partly within the past year into |
bureau. II Federal boards and area
commanders, each of whom has been
gwen geographical district in which
to effect savings.
These high priests in the Temple of
Government Economy hold frequent
services. Their rites are held in the
name OF the President. 1t is n name
with which to conjure at Washington
anC IN the field. and it is used freely.
with his authority, by the chosen lead
erS OF ms economy campaign The
Budget Bureau, vested with blanket
authority, uses the Coolidge name
many times daily. always with his gen.
er.l approval. but more often without
MS knowledge, perhaps. than with it.
1t is being used today. perhaps at
the moment Your eye falls on these
~ 'iiiN III iHS bureau from
the director, Gen. Herbert NJ. Lord a
retired Army officer, down. For this
IS the sea son of the year when Cen
i-ord and his assistants are whittIine
ub"h lne prospective SpendinsS of the
Government departments for the com
ing nScai year. Hearings are in order
lneN are being held daily. and all rt
ofhcial Washington. taking unyuH1sd
ana dfgnliied turn. il flocking To the
iredSufy. where sit the President
torq "a hnance and his lordiincs.
y bureau chieftain. for instance
comes before the Budget bureau win
carefully prepared estimates of what
ne hopes To get in the way of spend.
ing money for the coming wear. His
accounts are placed on the tahIe-a
pare table in hare room furnished
with. the cast-off furniture of other
departments. The board over which
presides an official of the Budget RI.
reau. scrutlnizes the items and uues
tons the applicant as to each one
Now. Mr.. So-and-So." saws tbe
chairman, you are doubtless familis,
with the Presidents policy with re
spect TO expenditures. On June IS last
at meeting AT which you were pres
ent, he announced that policy. He
said. i purpose holding the ordinar,
~hpNllotS VI tue Government
to and then follows the citation
from the Presidents speech. The
chairman resumes:
You are aware, therefore, of the
necessity for economy. How. then, car
YOU reconcile your figures. which cal
for sl32. 900 more than YOU spent last
year, with that policy of the Presi
dent"
The bureau chieftain squares him
self as best he can, and the Bulge,
Bureau attends to the pairing do wr
process to make his estimates conform
to the general policy OF retrenchment
But the figure of the President has
come sduarely before the bureau chief
tain and without the President.
immediate knowledge. The lessor
sinks in, Hour after hour, day after
day. week after week. the process j,
much the same-the tall, lank figure
of a stern-faced man ever lurking in
the background, pointed out as au
thority for this that and the other
necessary reduction.
But there are at work other agen
cies than the board which sits in dali,
judgmsAt on the proposed .spendinss
of the Nation. These agencies have
nothing to DO with The compilation ol
the tens Of thousands OF individu8
items that so into the annual esti