Evening star., 1932-03-29

, structions Of these executives whether
they are efficient or not.
So any curtailment on major scale
can hardly be carried out by merely
submitting to a congressional committee
the problem of whether bureau has or
has not carried on its duties efficiently
or whether the objectives Of the legisla-
ton are worth while.
Some general formula to aid Con-
gress in mapping out a policy of
economy is absolutely essential if q
permanent improvement is to be made
in the matter of keeping down Govern
ment expense.
Such formula might well include q
definition OF the Federal function. What
activities properly belong to the Fed
eral Government and which ones ought
to be carried on, If at all, by the States?
For nearly $50 years there has been
agitation over States rights, but the
Federal Government has gradually been
intrusted with more and more power
because 1t had the means of raising
large sums by taxation. Periods of
prosperity lead to increased spending.
If the formula required that the Fed
eral Government should devote itself
entirely to the administration of tasks
Of an interstate character, that might
furnish one definition. But the truth
Is that many of the present activities of
the Federal Government are those
which properly belong to the States and
which for one reason or another they
have avoided. Tradition and precedent
have much to do with it. And because
the problem of Federal and State over
tapping has never been SO vital and has
never been so much of a pocketbook
issue, net much progress has been made
toward solving 1t. With $4,000, 900 900
deficit, precedents are broken.
The Federal Government spends
$1,000 100000 year out of its $4,000
100000 budget for veterans care and
pensions and allowances and there are
signs that the veterans organizations
will ask for more There are 8,OOO,-
600 persons unemployed and it has
been insisted that their care is not a
Federal but local responsibility. If
the money spent for veterans on ac-
count OF economic distress had been in
cIuded under general classification of
care OF citizens and each locality had
handled its own problem, the present
Feoeral expense would have been trans
1erred to the States and cities. Had
this been done a decade ago there
would have been less extravagance in
other directions on the part of local
governments. The obligation to care for
the veterans would have taken prece-
oence over other expenditures or would
nave oeen materially cut down.
ii aid to the citizens, whether in dis
stress or not, whether veterans of wars
or not, is matter for The public treas
urles, the sooner the question finally is
determined where Federal responsibility
oeglns and State responsibility ends
the sooner this item in the Federal
puget VIII cease to be the big obstacle
10 economy that it is today. Fear of
toucnlng any veterans appropriations
selzes members of Congress and this is
because the veterans groups are sup
posed TO be more powerful back home
tIlan Tie general group of taxpayers.
Ihere are various activities of the
government that are not in the public
~ th teSC IN the sense of being useful
70 the whole country, but are kept there
py group influence A definition of
now Tar the Federal Government sho,,Id
20 IN aiding any group would aid in
keeping the budget from being extended
10 special activities that are sought nv
organizations but which might be car.
rleo on either by States or private or
ganizationS.
Unless every item In the budget is
81 oCL utHi!zeu with some definite idea of
What the Federal function is or shouId
De, any material reduction in expenses
Is going to be difficult if not Impossible
10 achieve. Congress may find itself
forced TO adopt such a formula in these
years OF deficit and if any general
principle for cutting the budget can be
eVolVed 1t would at least apply to
iurtner appropriations or to new actiy-
ltleS, which would have to stand the
test OF conformity to a basis plan for
the use Of Federal funds. Such a plan
or formula is now lacking. 1t is a pre-
requisite to intelligent curtailment of
Government expense.
Copyright. 1892.
(Tomorrow's article answers the uueJ-
ton, Where Does Our Money Coz"
An analysis of the Federal Budget)