Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-01-29
Washington Digest
Bureau Of Budget Assumes
New Legislative importance
Director Harold D. Smith Responsible Only to
President; Real Value Lies in Counsel
Given to Nations Lawmakers.
By BAUKHAGE
Ne,u, analyst and Commentator.

operation by obtaining data on how
current programs are functioning be-
fore renewing or increasing appro-
priations. Thus the budget becomes
a tool of administration.
Confusion
He gave me an example of one
problem he is working on now.
To-day there is confusion and con-
flict between many government de-
partments and agencies. Examina-
ton of their methods is clearing this
up. There is even conflict and con-
fusion between agencies and their
own field forces. This the budget
bureau with a field force of its own
can eliminate" Smith believes.
"When an agency doesn't like the
way we examine the administration
of its program and says, you are
getting into operation I tell them,
NO, we are not. We don't want to
operate but we do intend to be con-
structively critical ,"
Another constructive job that
Smith feels is important is reconcile
alton between the government agen-
cy asking congress for money and
congress trying to keep down costs
on the one hand, or trying to bring
new benefits to its constituencies, on
the other.
Congress has a tendency to shy
away from bureaucracy, the bureau
heads have a distrust of congress.
Congress frequently gets facts mixed
with policy. But facts are facts.
Our job is to get the facts and to
present them effectively"
Politics doesn't worry Smith. He
served under three governors of
Michigan, of highly different tenn
permanent, party and policies and he
says that politics entered very little
into the decisions made by any of
them on the recommendations he
made.
He said that the same thing ap-
plies to his experience with Presi-
dent Roosevelt.
"We may not have made all the
recommendations we should" he
said, "but go per cent of those we
have made the President has ac-
cepted."
Since his college days, when he
| specialized in engineering, and later
in civil administration, Smith has
been engaged in some phase of the
work he is doing now: regulating
the ways and means" of govern
! ment.
Plans are started which may re-
suit in many prospective women
veterans, the WAACS, the WAVES,
the WAFS, and the SPARS, who will
have been living under regular mill
tary discipline for the duration-a
form of existence about as different
from anything that home offers. as
could possibly be.
From a Commentator Mail:
Draft boards seem ruthless .
We have four small children under
IL years of age. One tiny baby
and wonder if am selfish in need
ing his (the father's) advice and
help to raise the children.-Colo-
RADIO.
The Fish and Game commission
rides on rubber. Why cannot their
trucks, tires, etc., be turned over to
the government?-New York.
My husband is classed as ga and
is just SO. He has had both shop
and metal experience and follows
both as a hobby. He would give
anything just now to get into defense
work, but he has IS years seniority
in one of the biggest insurance COM
panies. His job is guaranteed if he
is drafted but they will not
release him to 60 voluntarily into a
vital dustry.-California
As farmers, we work from 10 to
100 hours a week and a good deal
of this effort is for interest on bor-
rOWed money. Honestly, during
wartimes we do not feel that we
are Favored" class but are doing
our best to do our share.-Colorado
1t is my humble opinion it is time
we plant our feet on the ground and
eliminate some of this Sunday
School letter news and give the peo-
pie facts.-Louisiana.
My husband owns and operates a
liquor store .. Since liquor is nom
perishable and meat is, l can't see
why we stay open 365 days of the
year and a butcher shop closes its
doors every Sunday and holiday
California.
During the recent scrap drive l
have seen copper toys with rubber
tires displayed in store windows.
The irony of it!-Louisiana.