Evening star., 1925-04-14
Coolidge and Economy
II-a'resdent Postponed White House Repairs Two
Years to Save Money.
BY WILLIAM HELM.

Calvin Coolidge had hardly taken
his seat in the White House before
he was called upon to put his alb
Stract ideas of governmental economy
to the acid test in personal and spec
tacular fashion. He did not hesitate.
greater degree of personal COM
fort and, to some extent, greater per
sonal safety was involved. They
weighed nothing in his balances
against the need for public economy.
The money-spending plan was vetoed;
the new occupant of the White House
began the practice of what he
preached and took his own medicine
along with the thousands of his sub
ordinates for whom he had prescrib-
ed 1t.
Warren Harding had breathed his
last less than 80 days before. Amid
national mourning, Coolidge had as
sumed the Presidency. One of his
first utterances dealt with the subject
nearest his heart-public economy.
Il am for economy in government,
for more economy and still more
economy" Such was the word that
came from the new Executive and
was passed down the line from
Cabinet members to scrubwomen.
Gen. Lord, the budget director, was
among the first callers at the White
House. He followed the custom of
Offering to resign his office so that the
new President might be unhampered
in the selection of a man TO carry
forward his economy program. The
two men sat close together, a batch
of papers spread out before them,
when General Lord broached the sub
ject. The President begged him not
to think of taking such course.
Work Together for Economy
You are my first choice for the
Office" the President is reported to
have said, in effect. Help me by
keeping 1t. Let us work together for
economy"
Thus began to ripen into warm
friendship and greater esteem the ac-
quaintance of the nations chief eX-
ponent of economy and the man in
trusted with carrying out the policy.
They made an admirable team: Cool
idge of New England, high priest of
the saving virtue, loving thrift with
something akin to the passion of
youth; Lord of New England, skilled
in walking the labyrinthine ways of
government spending. deft with the
scalpel, ruthless, when need be, with
the pruning knife.
At that time the government de-
partments were making up their an
nual estimates OF funds needed to
carry them through the coming fiscal
year. Coolidge himself sent word to
them to cut. He wanted less money
spent during the coming year, his
message said, than the present one
And down the line the sickle swept
into the waiting grain, leveling
patches here and there. Cutting down
the estimates became the hard boiled
order Of the days business.
At the White House the estimates
for the coming year were made up by
Bascom Slemp, then Secretary to the
President. At least, they were made
under Mr.. Slemp's supervision. And
they were transmitted under his di-
rection to the budget bureau, where
they came at once before the watch
full eye of the director.
White House Disregards Policy
What was the directors astonish-
ment to find that the White House
itself had flagrantly disregarded the
Presidents command to cut expenses.
There seemed to be no way of be-
lieving it, yet there were the figures.
Four hundred and odd thousand dol
lars had been added to the previous
| years cost of operation. For what?
Mainly for repairs to the White House
| itself.
Mindful Of the deIicacy of his mis-
sion, Gen. Lord set about dissect-