Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30
PRESIDENT DEFINES
PROPER ARMAMENT
Lies in Neither Extreme, He
(, Says, Discussing
:, Finances,
CONTINUED from First Pagel

saving in interest of nearly $780,
600 900. And in the same period of
time we have seen three substantial
reductions in rates of taxation.
Commentator of the great build
ing program, which will make vast
changes in Washington in the next
few years was voiced by the CHER
Executive. 1.-The completion of these
programs" he said, will remove an
overhead cost and effect permanent
saving. This is wise spending. 1T
will bring a real profit, which Is the
essence of constructive economy.
The cost of Government had been
reduced in six years, the President
said, from S51 per capita to $2e per
capita, while the index cost OF hVlhg
had fallen during the same time from
over 100 to 176 at present.
Speaks of Personnel
Roth the President and General
Lord dwelt at length on the matter
of Government personnel. sub1ect
of vital interest in thousands Oh
Washington homes.
Without laying down a policy OF
large new slashes in the Governmeht
nANrOH mere, lIlc Il AO0@ANAAN
''when reductions of force are 1ustl-
fed. they must be made" He paid
considerable attention to what he said
was evidence during the last Few
years of the continuing interest IN
the welfare of employees"
Reporting on the progress OF the
per cent club inaugurated by the fres'
ident at the last business meeting,
Gen. Lord pointed to the small per-
centage of Federal appropriation act
ually under administrative control
and showed how the Government pay.
roll must bear the brunt OF much Vi
the economy drive.
The 2 per cent club Gen. Lord ex-
planned, had been formed for saving
not less than 2 per cent in the cost OF
personnel through emitting to fill va
cancies.
Personnel Club Formed.
."To carry this into effect" he said,
"we organized the per cent person
mel club Reports in hand show tnat
practically all of the Federal agencies
are making loyal effort to effect TINS
saving desired by the President, with
the prospect that most OF them Will
succeed. In all the various plans and
drives for saving we have had none OF
greater importance than this, none
richer in possibilities, and certainly
none offering such unusual opportu-
nifty for real administration. We wait
with great interest to see who of our
administrators are equal to the test.
1.-The importance of this effort,
which should be continuing, is appar-
ent from study of the factors IN
volved. The estimated expenditure
for this year, excluding the postal ex-
penses and including debt reduction is
$3.50 ,O00, O00 The President exer-
cises administrative control over but
$1,lO0 900 900 of this amount, or about
80 per cent. OF this the cost of per-
sonnet is approximately IS per cent. II
Government overhead is brought down
or kept down, personnel must do it. I"
Gen. Lord sharply criticized the
tendency to too much dictation and
too much typewriting." I'VE have In
mind" he said, "the organization OF a
new and different kind of Federal
club-a correspondence club. The
the Federal specificatios board has
reduced the kinds of ink for Govern
ment use from II TO z. Study of the
great and increasing mass and mess of
correspondence with which the Gov
eminent is afflicted makes one almost
wish that the specifications board had
limited the varieties OF ink to one.
and that one the invisible kind.
Letters too Lengthy.
'Stenographers and typewriters are
nlluring temptations to verbosity, To-
quacity, garrulity and pronxity. We
use a page or two to say what should
be expressed in a brief sentence or
two. and use brief sentence or two
TO say what just as well or better, be
left unsaid. Those who cant write
out their message in longhand and
make it readable can dictate to an in
teliigent stenographer who can make
4 fairly presentable production out of
q tumble of bad grammar and a halt
ing vocabulary, and thus make pos
sible, correspondence that otherwise
would never have troubled the mails
and otherwise would never have been
missed. The stenographer and type
writer usurp all too frequently the
function of the TELEPHONE. There's
too much dictation and too much type
writing.
Unnecessary correspondence, re
dundancy, repetition, duplication, re
iteration are costing the Federal
Treasury a great deal of money an
nually. The fault is SO universal in
the service, the cost in time and sup
plies so great something must surely
be done. and an attempt will be made
to curtail and improve Government
correspondence. Just how this will
be done has not yet been determined
j present it TO you at this time with
an earnest appeal that you give
thought to the subject, and furnish
the director of the budget suggestions
you think may be helpful in organic
ing this effort"
Only One Deficit Recorded.
Gen. Lord reviewed the record oil
nine years and their balances, indi
eating that in that time there haC
been only one deficit, in 1919, while
ever since that time this succession
of annual balances" had required. HI,
was emphasizing them, he said, "be
cause of the splendid contribution
made TO them by the Federal service.
In 1919 there had been a deficit o.
$13,370 ,637, $500, Gen. Lord said
when Eve were paying for our grea
adventure in war" but since that tim,
the SURPRISES each year We're recount
ed as follows: 1920, S212,475 900; 1921
SS6.723.771; 1922, $313. S01.651; 1923
5000 ,657 400; 1924, $505, 1855 1856; 1925
$3.50. 1905 ,23s; 1926, 1917 .767,8I6: Will
for this fiscal year, known as 1927, tn
estimated surplus is 1888 .079, 095. Pre-
liminary estimates for the year 1872
point to a surplus of more than 5000
5000.
The national debt, Gen. Lord point
ed out, had been brought down iron
its peak of $26 $40. 701 ,64s.01 on Angus
81. 1919, to $19 .074 ,665. 377.35 on DE
cember 81 last, a reduction in sever
years of $7,522, 036, 310.e6
Savings Greatly Increased.
The Government is still striving
Gen. Lord said, to bring within
three billion-dollar limit all expend
lures outside that for the postal serS
ice and reduction of the public debt.