Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-12
COOLIDGE TO PRESS
REORGAN|z|NG PLAN
Hopeful of Forcing Congress
to Vote Economies in
u. S. Departments.
BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG.
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

President Coolidge is to renew his eff
forts to obtain legislation for reorgani-
| cation OF the executive departments.
| Each year since he has been Presi-
| dent Mr.. Coolidge has recommended
| Legislation of this kind but there al
ways has been more or less opposition,
II not indifference, to the proposition,
principally because it would do away
with much surplus labor and thereby
lessen Federal patronage Elimination
of this surplus labor and the gigantic
| reduction in the Governments pay roll
| that would necessarily follow is just
| exactly what the President is seeking.
HIS associates here have reason to
| know that the country is behind the
administration economy program,
| and realizing this, the President Is
going to insist that Congress at it's
| next session make reorganization
! possible.
Seen as Outstanding Policy.
1t was said today that President
| Coolidge is going to make this one Of
his outstanding economy policies dur
Ing the coming year and will throw
the full weight of his office behind eff
forts to force this legislation through
: Congress. Although there Is no sound
argument that the patronage-deEand-
| ing members Of Congress can bring
against such legislation, it Is apparent
to the administration that this issue
| Is or the class that gets nowhere, be-
| cause 1t presents no VOte-getting pos
| SibilitieS.
Moreover, President Coolidge has
been advised that there is no real or
ganized opposition to reorganization
legislation and that the program can
be put through Congress If properly
handled and pushed. The stumbling
block Of the past has been the in
| ability to present a practical plan for
| reorganization that would meet the
approval Of a majority of Senators
| and Representatives. For that rea-
SON the Smoot plan for a complete
| reorganization was abandoned, and
| the President let 1t be known that he
would approve almost any plan Con
| gress put forth, just so long as 1t
made reorganization possible in a
practical and constructive way.
| Feels Somewhat Hopeful.
The President is understood to feel
somewhat hopeful that he will sue
coed. Aside from other practical rea-
sons he will attempt to show Con-
l
| the safest and surest ways Of reduc-
ing the Governments expense. Also
he will emphasize the fact that there
| is going to be urgent need for keep
ing down expenses during the next
| fiscal year If a national deficit is to
be averted. He will show that strict
economy has been applied to the run
ming of the Government during the
past few years and that exepnseS
1t~xAr IL
| would not be judiciouS or advisable
to reduce them further, without abol
fishing completely, certain activities.
Therefore, after considering this
| question of Government expense and
| efficiency, the President is convinced
| that what must be done to keep
down costs and avert a deficit in the
Treasury should be Of a sound and
conservative nature and not destruct-
i've. He realizes that it is an eternal
! challenge, which those entrusted with
| running the Government must meet
| to secure q more efficient Government
with smaller expenditure Of money.
| He considers 1t great test Of en-
| cheering skill in the constant elimi-
nation Of waste, in making every dol
lar count, and in the conserving Of
national energy.
Expresses Fear of Deficit.
Following his long conference yes.
terday with Brig Gen. Lord. director
of the budget, who brought to the
President the preliminary estimates
of appropriations during the next fis-
cal year for the Federal Government
and the government Of the District of
Columbia, the President Is in a none
too happy frame Of mind. He is more
| fearful than ever that the Govern
ment Is going to sail too close to the
margin during the next year. and that
the possibilities of a deficit are too
great.
With this gloomy picture before
him and in a determination to cut
expenses to the bone, he lost no time
in slashing the total estimate Of eX-
pense to q point where he was salts
| fled he could slash no more. BY this
means Of pruning he succeeded in
cutting approximately 100000, 900
| from these estimates. Even then the
final figures showed that the increase
was $55 100000 above the appropria-
tions for the current year. Taking
into consideration the natural growth
of the Government and its ever-in-
creasing activities, this is looked upon
with no great concern. On the con-
| trary, it was somewhat Of an accom-
l
| growth, the President expected to see
the annual expense Of operation in
| crease. But then there Is always the
| constant dread of some extra expense
or outlay OF public money cropping up
| Unexpectedly.
The President has reason to know
| that Congress can not always be de-
pended on to reckon absolutely and
strictly in accordance with the
limits laid down by him in the matter
of spending money.
Eyes On Tax Cut.
Because Of this apprehension, the
President is insistent that expenses
be kept down to a minimum. Be-
sides he Is anxious to bring about
| another cut in taxes before very
! long. He is convinced that further
| reduction in the tax burden will not
be possible this year. There are
some high in his administration who
| are optimistic enough to feel that if
the expenses are kept down and the
tax receipts continue to be swelled
by reason Of the great prosperity
that Congress will authorize another
reduction in taxes before March, 1928.
This would be the third tax slash in
the Coolidge administration.
The national campaign will be on
in 1928 and the administration and
the leaders of the Presidents politi-
cal party would be happy to call the
voters attention to such an accom-.
plishment.
Besides reorganization of the Fed
eral Government as the most eff
fective means Of effecting economy
next year, the President is anxious
to see an extension Of the system of
taking advantage Of discounts. There
is a great opportunity for saving. he
believes. by paying the Government s
bills within the discount periods and