Evening star., 1925-01-27
Coolidge in Budget Speech
FOresees Further Tax Cut

, lieve that we can effect this further
reduction in our expenditure program
for this year. I ask your co-opera-
tion and effort to this end. Our esti.
mated expenditures for the next fis-
cal year are well under the three
billion mark, but I desire to reach
the goal this year. Here is a con-
crete objective. Revise your ex-
penditure programs so as to con-
tribute your share to the saving.
"At our meeting last June I called
your attention to the necessity Of
reducing the Government pay roll
The matter of personnel should be
kept constantly in mind. 1t Is the
heaviest single item of our expendi-
lures. In 1913 the average salary OF
Government employees in the District
of Columbia was S1.134. On July 1,
1924, the average salary was S1.749.
This shows an increase in the aver
age salary of $615 within this period.
No Pay Cut Proposed.
Il do not think any one can claim
that the cost of living has Increased
S615 in the same time. This is more
than a 81 per cent advance. Should
the salaries Of all employees in each
class reach the average rate author
y
would be $l,S09 per year. We can
not look to a reduction in pay to ef-
feet a reduction in the Government
pay roll. What we are looking for
is q reduction in the number of en-
ployes.
Let me remind you that the Gov
ernment pay roll for 1924 reached
the staggering total of $3.50. 600, ,000
This includes the active personnel of
h A.
tired lists. the pensioners and other
beneficiaries Of the Government. This
staggering total should cause con-
cern-not only to us, but to every
thinking citizen. While there can
not be and should not be a parsimo-
NOUS Withholding from deserving
pensioners who have a just lien on
our gratitude and purse, and while
inadequate compensation for neces-
sary and worthy employees should
not be advocated. not a dollar should
be asked from the taxpayers for su-
perfiuous personnel
I'VE have superfiuous employees It
is an unpleasant and difficult task to
separate people from the Federal
service. But 1t can be done. 1t will
be done, I advise Federal admins
traitors to plan to operate with
smaller personnel than is now en-
ployed
Workers Are Appreciated.
The President is not lacking in
appreciation of the high class of
service rendered by Government Off
cials and employees He has knowl-
edge of the technical. professional
and scientific equipment Of personnel
In the Government service, and the
high average OF ability, devotion to
duty and industry Of the Government
employe. If II were not for the in
tangible spirit OF service, love OF per-
formance for the Government, devo-
tion to its interests and complete
commitment to projects and interest
into which many of these officials
have built their worthy lives the
Government would be in a bad way.
AS IT is, the Government service
is training ground for personnel for
comm mercial interests and will always
continue to be. A review of the Fed
eral pay roll discloses great adminis-
traitors, learned scientists, skilled
technicians and talented professional al
men, in many cases submerged, labor
ing diligently, intelligently and de-
votedly and contributing the best
that is in them-and that best incom-
parably good-to the Nations inter-
ests. And faithful, capable perform
ance Is not confined to these partic-
ular classes, for service of high char
acter and value is being given the
Government by the great mass Of
Federal employees in Washington and
in the field; the disloyal and incom-
petent are the exception.
NO more devoted, patriotic and
efficient employees can be found any
where than Government servants.
Their loyal effort and intelligent CO.
operation Is making economy with
efficiency possible, and their familiar
ity with the operations and policies
of their various activities make them
indispensable to administrators of
the Government. The President of
the United States, the members of
his cabinet and the heads of the in
dependent establishments and the
great bureaus of this Government
are dependent upon these devoted de-
pendable Federal employees for the
efficient conduct OF the business of
Government intrusted to them.
Warning About Estimates.
AT our last meeting 1 had oc-
caston to call your attention to the
fact that under the law the only
lawful estimates are those which the
Chief Executive transmits to Con-
gress. My reason for then calling
the matter to your attention was that
In a few instances officials of the
executive branch of the Government
advocated before the committees of
Congress the appropriation of amounts
in excess of those recommended In
the executive estimates. Both the
letter and the spirit of the budget