Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-09
AS TOLD TO WILLIAM p. HELM. JR.

We are quite near the minimum ex-
penditure at which the Government Of
the United States can conduct its bust
ness on the scale to which 1t is now
attuned.
In my judgment, there will be few
more large economies. II the cost OF
carrying on the business of the Federal
Government is to be cut still further,
and by that / mean cut apprectably, 1t
will have to be done by looping of
some of the present activities.
In harmony with the progress of the
country industrially, socially. financial
~ and otherwise the Government must
keep step with the times. And the
times advance swiftly in presenting in
ventions and developments and with
them new problems.
The Government must provide its
proper and fitting accompaniment to
these things as they appear on the
world stage. Inevitably this means an
increase as time goes on in the cost
of conducting Government affairs, but
1t need not be wasteful or extrava-
CANT increase. Rather it should be an
increase essential to our continuing
progress.
Supervision Of Air Waves.
Yesterday the magic Of the radio
lay at the bottom Of the Governments
half-opened Pandora's box Nowhere
in the list of Federal spendings of even
10 years ago was there an item remotely
connected with the Governments SUI
perviSion of air waves. Where would
radio and its millions of devOteeS be
TODAY had the Government not taken
on this new policing? A new item; an
increase in the cost of Government:
vast benefit. The three things go
hand in hand.
Thirty years or so ago there was no
cidental to the upbuilding Of public
highways with Federal aid. But 80
years ago there were no, vast motor
caravans: the automobile was an I'M
certain plaything. And 80 years hence
1t may well be that today's public
spending for highways and their MAIN
tenance will appear puny and inconSe-
Quential beside the current OUTLAWS
then.
The lid Of Pandora's box of Federal
financial problems is still but ajar. One
can visualize q vast air fleet darkening
the skies in coming days so near as TO
be within the life span of those now in
middle age. Does any one believe this
new development OF human progress
will not present its own bill to the tax
payers of the United States?
Trend Toward Rising Scale.
No, the tendency is altogether away
from further great reductions in gov
ornamental costs. The trend is toward
rising scale 1t is only a natural de-
velopment The problem Of the Govern
ment in days to come. 1t seems to me,
will be, as it is today. to see that the
moneys spent in its activities are spent
we'll
But I am straying from my COMPARE
son of the old way and the new, which
l began in the preceding chapter.
No longer does the Treasury collect
the estimates of annual expenditures.
tie them up and send them to Congress
No longer do department and bureau
heads scurry around to bring influence
to bear on this. that or the other men,
Der of Congress to favor their pet ap-
preparations. No longer is Government
money appropriated without thought of
Government revenues. No longer is
each little part of the Government
self-sufficient unit going its own f1nan-
cial way in solitary and expensive
grandeur.
The first thing to do under the new
way was to ascertain as carefully and
accurately as possible the prospective
Government revenues for the coming
fiscal year We wanted to know first how
much money would be available for