Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-06-30
BUDGET CHIEF
CONTINUED from PAGE One)

lSSuAibdCQ tfoiu a9S WV
] paign of retrenchment in state, county
and municipal expenditures, similar to
the program now being carried out by
2 the federal government, was urged by
Brig. Gen. Herbert NJ. Lord, director of
1 the bureau of the budget, in an adj
dress today before the 18th annual
conference of state governors in ses-
|, sion here.
las a result of this economy cam
paign in which We have been still are.
. and will continue to be engaged, we
can point to the federal government
as an example of courageous re-
: tTenchment," General Lord said.
In 1921, the last pre-budget year.
federal expenditures were GO per cent.
]. of the cost of government, while the
I lesser divisions of government were
responsible for the remaining 40 per
= cent. Today We ave practically re-
Nersed these positions, and the federal
government, by getting down to actual
: business. by cutting out expenditures,
Z by the introduction of more efficient
methods. and by the cultivation of the
\ spirit of economy, makes an assess
i ment of only 33 per cent. on the pub
\ agencies-states and cities-take the
remaining 81 per cent.
What the federaN> government has
h done along lines of retrenchment the
states, counties and municipalities can
do and should do. This country urg-
emily needs at this time nationwide
non-political organization to carry on
such a campaign. / can conceive no
more important contribution to the
cause of national stability, prosperity
and happiness, than well'directed eff
L fort along this line"
z Reviewing the record of the bureau
of the budget, General Lord described
its aim in these words:
p TOR the sake of the taxpayer we
must raise the smallest sum that will
suffice; and for the sake of economy
r we must not only spend no more than
that sum, but must follow through on
the spending operation to see that 1t
y is spent wisely, well and under sci
eutiflc system of distribution. The fixed
financial policy of the federal govern
g ment today is the policy of balanced
budget-expenditure well within re-
ceipts.'
= "The amount of reduction in federal
expenditures directly due to executive
pressure exerted through the bureau
!. of the budget will always be a moot
question and an idle one" he said In
another place. THE director of the
y bureau of the budget has never made
claims of extraordinary savings effect
ed under budget control. He has been
:, content to point to falling expendA-
lures. In the field of estimates, now
ever, he can point to definite achieve
--ments that admit of no challenge.
I'm the four budget years there mas
been pruned from executive estimates
,eaby the bureau of the budget, actlng
for the president, total of S1,zUo,-
771,929. an amount nearly equal to the
\ national debt when we went into the
World War.
I'm effecting these eductions in esti-
A-mates no arbitrary or pro rata cuts
were made. That the work was SCI
entifcally and wisely done in the main
lis writ large in resulting approprla-
tions. =,
Starting the coming year with esti.
mated expenditure of 1873 5,eUo,ooV'
he said, it is found that "two-thlrds OF
the annual expenditure is not SUBJECT
~ to administrative control. Hunoreus
I" of millions applied to the pubic oeut,
interest on the public debt, ana set
1 aside for veterans and dependants ol
war veterans and other purposes, can
not he reduced. I'VE have less than
/ one-third of the total subject to reduc.
ton and available for the practlce ol
economy. But we are attacking that
! balance with our most trenchant
weapons, cooperation and coordlnatlon'
which spell teamwork and mean econo-
. my"