Evening star., 1932-10-30
TREASURY LEADS
IN SAVINGS DRIVE
Use OF Note Paper on Both
Sides and Cheaper Scrub
Brushes Aid Economy.

This is The eighth Of a series Of arti-
reduced oSdeef oef'iGH in the he Gosernment e t' de-
While golden flood of savings pours
into the depleted Golfer Of the Treasury
1rcm various Federal departments,
those who operate the important gov
ernmental machine at Fifteenth and
the Avenue are overlooking no cppor-
tunlty to add their owns savings to the
economy till
In fact, the Treasury long has set an
example in efficiency for other branches
CT the administrative machinery of the
Government. Secretaries Mellon and
Mills both have saved Uncle Sam the
cost of official li-nousines for the office
OF Treasury Secretary by using their
private cars, and other officials are
using automobiles commandeered from
bcotleggers.
The Bureau of Engraving and Print
Ing, which is part of the Treasury, was
the first to experiment with the fur
Tough system of spreading employment,
and the Treasury also beat Congress to
the economy provision against filling
vacancies In personnel.
Many Small Economies.
Other economies have been placed
in operation whose ramifications reach
out into all corners of the. country,
from the practice of using note paper
on both sides, to the cheaper scrub
brushes in small post offices.
Treasury economies largely are in
administration, personnel, and reduced
cost of materials and services.
Due to factors beyond the control Of
the Treasury, the Governments Fed
eral budget is far off balance, and
running into the red, with prospects,
according to latest figures, of a deficit
at the end of this fiscal year of more
than S400,000,000. 1t may be much
larger. New taxes already have begun
to pour into the Federal Golfers in
somewhat disappointing volume at first.
and still more new taxes are to become
effective at later dates, so that the
task Of the Treasury will be increased,
especially in the Bureau Of Internal
Revenue
Despite efforts at economy In another
direction, the Treasury finds itself
loaded with gigantic job, which in
creaSeS its work, in the public building
program, which was heavily expanded
by the Wsgner-Garner relief bill, au-
thorizing an expenditure of 100000
600 throughout the country, but not in
the District OF Columbia.
maintenance Fund Cut.
One of the savings which had been
instituted before the relief act was
passed was curtailment of S1,500,000
in the fund for operation and main
tenance" of public buildings through
out the country. This was to be made
possible through decreases in cost OF
equipment, and savings on furniture, re-
pairs and supplies. The cost Of soap
and scrub brushes, for instance, has
materially decreased, making possible
substantial savings. But this economy
item is likely to be one of a temporary
nature, in view Of the expanding public
building program. For with the addi-
tion of many new buildings throughout
the country to equip and care for, the
maintenance budget necessarily is en-
larged
Generally speaking, substantial saw
3ngS have been made in the Treasury
Department as they have in other de-
partments under the restrictions of the
economy act. For instance, it is esti-
mated that about $50 Superannuated
Government employees have been retired,
while only IL people past retirement age
have been retained by special permis-
sion of the President; about 100000
is being saved in the Treasury Depart
ment from impounding the 8ls per cent
pay cut from salaries; the legislative
furlough of "a days is being enforced.
but it has been found unnecessary to
enforce the administrative payless fur
Tough except in the Bureau of Engrav-
ing and Printing. In this bureau, how
ever, the administrative furlough is
successfully working to save jobs, by
spreading the available work among the
workers already on the rolls. 1t was the
opera ton of the furlough in the Bureau
of Engraving and Printing, which be-
fore the economy act became law stood
out as shining example of how such
a furlough could be worked to spread
employment and prevent dismissals.
The policy of not filling vacancies
which occur, except by express permis-
sion of the President has resulted in
substantial savings. The Treasury had
been operating on this principle for more
than a year. With Treasury activities
scattered all over the country, the saw
ing by reduced travel expenses which
are now Sc for itemized accounts, or IS
per diem, has resulted in substantial
economy.
Paper Money Costs Lower.
One feature of interest to every Amer
lean citizen concerns saving on paper
money. The so-called distinctive pa
per" on which paper money is printed
at the Bureau of Engraving and Print
ing is scheduled to cost $130,0O0 less this
fiscal year than last.
Many other savings are being made
In paper. Old scrap paper and obsolete
forms printed or written on one side
are being cut up and made into scratch
pads.
The appropriation for printing for
the Treasury has been cut down for
this fiscal year, but with increased work
in the Bureau of Internal Revenue,
where additional and new taxes mean
the printing of millions of extra forms,
1t Is anticipated there may be a request
Tor increase in this item instead of
decrease.
While the Treasury Department did
not get the additional 10 per cent cut
laid by the Senate on several depart
ments and establishments, its total
operating expenses" excluding special
Items such as refunding taxes, public
buildings and some other items, suffered
q slice of more than $12,000,0OO.
In the Customs PIIreo1 for ipc{opce