The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-01-05
FRIDAY. JAN. 5. 1884
THE ROOSEVELT BUDGET

a FTER first gasp over a seven billion
dollar deficit, a country that is begin
ming to shake off the lethargy Of fear and turn
It's face again to hope will not feel that the
cost Of recovery is excessive
Instead it is apt to be surprised at that
portion of President Rooseyelt's budget mes
sage which suggests that only two billion dol
lars may be spent for emergency measures
during the coming fiscal year If the patient
should have relapse due to premature econ
omy, then the whole great recovery bill to date
would represent loss and the cost of regaining
lost ground would be doubly heavy.
Fortunately, the President does not close
the door to greater appropriations for work
relief and public works if these should prove
necessary and year of Roosevelt has taught
us that he puts human beings first and is apt
. to do more rather than less than he promises
Yet it only would seem reasonable prudence
to prepare well in advance for possible need
during the winter of 1934-35 One of the Bit
terest lessons of the last few months has been
the slowness with which it is possible to create
jobs through public works even when the
money is available
If industrial recovery proceeds fast enough
so that public spending ceases to be necessary
the President reasonably can be trusted tC
stop expenditures.
President Roosevelt has been frank with
the country as to it's financial situation. He
has estimated revenues with extreme con-
servatism He has not tried to make the
deficit less by counting as revenue the sums
intention of paying He has sent to congress,
in detail never before equaed, a statement of
exactly how the public money has been spent,
and what he proposes for the future. He has
provided for auditing of emergency expendi-
lures both by the budget director and the
controller general.
This being the case, it is difficult to see
how congress can, with good grace, insist that
every relief expenditure be ear-marked in adj
vance and approved by it. During the World
war the need of the President for funds which
he could put quickly to unforeseen uses was
recognized and met. The need in this emer-
gency equally is real and reasonable.
So large are the amounts in the budget for
emergency measures that figures showing a
substantial reduction in the ordinary cost Of
running the government have received little
attention Nevertheless it is true that Presi-
dent Roosevelt has spent $684913,167 less for
the regular departments of the government
during his first year than Herbert Hoover
spent during his last year in Office. For the
most part, these economies have been made
wisely.
Allotments to the bureau of labor statistics
and the United States employment service,
both exceedingly useful in recovery are in
creased properly. On the other hand, it is
a little bewildering to find the allowance for
ocean and air mail subsidies increased in
stead of being cut, and the children's bureau,
the federal trade commission, federal power
commission and other departments whose
work is an integral part Of the new deal pro-
gram held down.
On the whole. the budget message fulf1lls
the promise of the one delivered the day be-
fore and justifies continued faith of the coun-
try in the administration.