Evening star., 1933-03-13
ROOSEVELT POWER
MAKES PRECEDENT
Far Reaching Importance
Seen Should Congress Give
: Economy Authority.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,

II Congress, as seems probable, should
give President Roosevelt power to cut
veterans pensions and allowances, then
q precedent Of far-reaching Importance
In the operation Of the American Gov
eminent will have been established.
Politics and organized minorities have
prevented the passage of laws that
would reduce salaries and pensions, both
Of the civil and military. Indeed the
readiness Of Congress today to let Mr..
in private Of what is not always sd-
mitted In public. The impractability
Of cutting appropriations, item by item,
with one group combining with an
other group to forestall the elimination
Of certain expenses is accepted by every
body as the prime reason why the
President now Is asked to do the
economy job for Congress.
Failure Of Congress shown.
But there Is something else even
more important In the extension of
authority to the President over the
Veterans Bureau. It Is the principle
that the legislative branch Of the Gov
ernment cannot cope with the details
Of fiscal administration, and particularly
economy. A more efficient Job Of
cutting can be done by the Executive.
For longtime 1t has been conceded
that appropriation bills contained too
many stipu1ations which restricted the
executive offcials and prevented them
from cutting their expenses to meet
incoming revenue. Congress has been
reluctant to relinquish its control over
specific appropriations, but If it can be
done under the stress Of present
emergencies in the case Of veterans
expenses 1t might also apply to other
bureaus and departments Of Government.
Many q business man has wondered
why 1t Is that Government bureau
does not as rule have the discretion
ary power to cut expenses and spend
only In directions that seem efncient.
OFTEN congressional instructions writ
ten into the statutes require the ex-
pend1ture OF money when economies
can be made. Thus II Congress con-
fines itself to the making Of policies
and sets forth principles the adminis-
trative arm of the Government would
have better opportunity to watch the
pennies.
House Action Shocks Groups.
The passage by the House Of the
dent to cut pensions and veterans ex-
penses came as a shock to many of
the groups here which hitherto have
been powerful influences in delaying or
defeating such legislation. To the
credits of the Republicans as well as
the Democrats, 1t must be said that the
overwhelming vote enabled the House
to dispose on Saturday Of one of the
most troublesome pieces Of legislation
in the history of the depression-the
economy bill
The Senate may debate the measure
at some length. but the ultimate action
there will be the same as the House.
Indeed the Senate has shown itself to
be. more In tune In the last year with
the demands of public opinion on
economy than were House members.
II Mr.. Roosevelt accomplishes this
week the passage of all his emergency
program, his record Of achievement will
be unparalleled, except in time of war
and there are evidences that Congress
gravely considers the present emergency
to be more dangerous than war.
When Britain cut her expenses and
balanced the budget, there was an i'm
mediate rise in pound sterling. So now
may we expect that as the legislative
program Of the new President Is passed.
the rest of the world will have an
enhanced conception Of the value of
the dollar. And the borrowing power
Of the Federal Government and its
right to issue more currency on faith
will be accepted by the economists and
financial experts as based now upon a
really sound base
tCopyright, 1933)