Evening star., 1947-05-28


the Federal David Lawrence.
budget, expenses were deliberately
increased.
The Republicans are cutting deep.
Hence the cries of distress from the
bureaucrats from coast to coast. In
Washington, where the habit has
been to spend and spend and elect
and elect"-as the saying went in
New Deal dsys-the criticism of
the Republicans Is severe Natur-
ally those affected by the cut In
expenses don't like 1t.
But what is surprising is that the
taxpayers far and wide do not seem
to, appreciate what is being done
In their behalf in the National
Capital. All they read in the press
Is that this or that important item
has been cut and that the Repub-
licans are going to get punished
by this or that section of the cleo
torate for having reduced certain
expenditures.
Attest to Courage.
Few things attest more to the
courage of the Republicans than
their readiness to cut agricultural
and reclamation appropriations
when these mean votes in Western
and Middle Western States that are
predominantly Republican. The
Democrats just can't understand it
they think their Republican
brethren are committing political
suicide.
When the House OF Represent
stives, under the leadership of the
chairman of the Appropriations
Committee, Representative John
Taber of New York, promised to
make substantial cuts, the critics
scoffed. Before Mr.. Taber could get
the details arranged, they jeered
again and said he couldn't possibly
bring in any substantial cuts. But
the House of Representatives has
already cut about $4,000, 600, 900 to-
ward the S4,500 100000 set by the
Senate as it's goal, and the House
plans further cuts on the War
Department and the bill covering
independent Offices and agencies.
1t was then rumored that the
Senate would restore virtually all
the cuts and that economy would
come to naught. But the Senate, in
passing the. Treasury, Justice and
Labor Department bills, didn't make
any material change from the
House cuts.
When the critics are not arguing
that the Republicans just can't
make any big cuts, they are saying
that the reductions are ''phony" or
"paper cuts" All this merely spurs
the Republican leadership on to
prove their sincerity. The result
has been the most drastic cuts in
appropriations that have been made
In dozen years.
Now unquestionably some Of the
cuts are too severe and some things
should not be eliminated, but expert
ence teaches the legislators that
they never can find out what is vital
and what is superluous unless they
force a shake-out. The only way
to do it is to cut and put the bureau
Gratis on the defensive. Usually
those agencies which are cut come
up with some way of managing to
get along without as much money
as before.
Unexpended Balances.
II should be borne in mind that
most of the figures used in the press
dispatches relate to actual appro-
priations. This is a different thing
from actual expenditures in bud
get because the Treasury often
spends money made available under
the appropriation laws of previous
years. There is, as matter of fact,
a lot of loose money around in the
Government-uneX balances
that can be saved. The Repub-
lican majority. through its commit
tees, is going through the Govern
ment's finances this year with a
fne-tooth comb. 1t is a salutary
development.
Much more economizing can be
done. If, after the 1948 election, the
Republicans continue in power, they
will do even more cutting. For If
they can reduce expenses as much
as they have in the face of an ap-
preaching national election, they
certainly will not hesitate to go
further when they win public ap-
proval at the polls.
The United States Government
has needed an economy wave for a
long time. Extravagances grow
with the years and soon items that
were appropriated for a purpose a
decade ago are listed as essential" )"
The belief that the Government
owes special favors with public
funds is deeply ingrained and the
thought that certain sums can be
spent permanently, irrespective of
the plight of the taxpayer. is widely
held in bureaucratic circles.
The Republicans have been wise
In proposing tax reduction. With
out that urge they couldn't have cut
the budget. Unfortunately, the
Democrats have done everything
they could to hamper the economy
program But the Republicans will
emerge successful in their legis-
lative battle and by July l, when
the next fiscal year begins, they will
have Topped off bigger percentage
from the budget than any Congress
ever cut from the budgets of a
predecessor Congress.
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