The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-03-15
Our Government
How Il Operates
BUREAU OF THE BUDGET
BY William, Byuckart


that is, You and me. But there is
one bureau which almost never
touches any of US; it does not deal
with any of US, and does not con-
Germ itself about individual citi-
zens, except that 1t considers the
welfare of all collectively as tax
payers. l refer to the bureau of
the budget.
This little-known agency is the
focal point however, of all plans
and programs for expenditures of
public funds. Every government de-
partment, bureau or commission is
a spending agency, and every one
or them has to have the approval
OF the bureau of the budget before
they can even 60 before commit
tee of congress to defend the plans
they have made.
Along about the first of August
each year, the director of the bud
get notifies the heads of all gov
ernmental establishments that he
will receive estimates" of expenfli-
lures for the fiscal year that is to
Degm In July of the following year.
The government budget, you will re-
member, goes to congress when IL
conyenes each December, and upon
| 1t all of the appropriations for the
succeeding fiscal year are based. So
the budget director begins work
about August /.
Although all of the spending
agencies have had general plans
mapped out, they do not translate
them into dollars and cents until
they get the advices from the bud
get director to submit estimates.
The first step, therefore. in any
| establishment is to fill out the skill
fully arranged forms with the fig
ures necessary to show how much
money is needed or desired.
Once these figures are in the
hands of the budget director and his
assistants. they invite a committee
f; from each establishment for shear
| ings," which are designed to supply
the budget bureau with all infOrma-
ton about every item and whether,
for example, it is desirable or neces-
! Sary To increase the sum available
! for airplunes for the army or
| whether conditions warrant the EN-
| plOying of one additional stenogra-
| pher in the office of the third as
sistant to the chief of section Y"
or somewhere equally well down the
line. Of Importance. 1t need not be
stated that when these hearings are
completed, the budget officials have
about all Of the data available con-
corning the next years plans.
While the budget bureau is max
ing up its lists, however, it has to
keep in mind that the President pre-
viously has made an announcement
that the total of government ex-
penses shall not exceed a specific
amount. The budget bureau starts
work pairing down the individual
items in order that the Presidents
command shall be obeyed. And what
a job it is! Every establishment
wants to spend as much money as IL
can get, obviously. 1t is natural
that the individual wants to make
his agency as important and as valu-
able as he can, All of which causes
the heads Of the spending agencies
to defend their estimates vigorously.
TO bring all pressure to bear that
they can legitimately accomplish.
The director of the budget con.
fers each week with the President
as the process of pairing the esti-
mate goes along.
| By and by, the director an
nounces that the budget is complete,
and one look at 1t is quite conylnc-
ing as to the truth of his statement
for II Is usually volume of about
1900 pages OF closely set type. On
the one column is list OF the pur-
poses for which 1t is proposed to
spend money: on the opposite col
umn Of the page is the amount, and
every item has its corresponding
figure, so you can see whether there
Is provision TO buy greater or
less number of airplanes for the
army In the succeeding year than
was purchased i'm the last year, or
whether one department is going
to use mere paper clips or less.
1t Is at this point. therefore, that
the bureau of budget attracts pub
lie attention for the one time OF
each year, for the budget Is ready
to be transmitted to congress by
the President. And when that hap
pens, the great appropriations COM
mittee Of the house Of representa-
tives gets into action. II holds an
other set Of hearings To which the
representatives of the spending
agencies are invited that they can
speak for themselves. That Is. they
can speak for themselves up to the
limit which the budget bureau fixed
I There Is a law making Il q criminal
osYense TO ask for more
| Passage OF appropriation bills il
an annual job In congress. and the
Representatives and senators as
signed 10 the committees handling
them have plenty Of troubles for
outside interests can and do get I'm
their work. urging and even hound.
lng members for Increases ia sums
or for additional items Yet IL has
gone On year after year with reason.
/ ahav satisfactory gEExtfS and ff8s