Evening star., 1949-05-15
Fiscal Crisis Imminent
tConttnued Prom Page CID

commitment issue for xhs~
reasons:
1T Is virtually impossible 70 re-
duce Federal expenditures sub
stantially. insofar a. they inple-
ment vast programs. projects and
policies already authorized.
The place 10 cut Federal ex-
penditures Is at the inception Of
the program. project or policy In
volved.
ITO enlist your support I'm q
campaign which l start now to re-
quire that every bill reaching the
calendar Of either house Of Con-
gress be accompanied by a eompe-
tent estimate of It's annual and
ultimate cost 10 the Federal Gov
ernment.
To show their effect on the
current and coming Federal budg-
cts in the forseeable future. A,
these extended programs get un-
derway they gather terific mo-
mentum which forces expenditure
budgets up and up"
Would Force Taxes
Against the background Of rev.
enue propects and expenditures
requested for the coming fiscal
year. Senator Byrd projected the
expenditure situation as 1t might
be in 1851
He discussed in detail the indi-
vidual items, proposals and COM
mitmennts and concluded that we
cannot meet those expenditure
requests except by higher taxes
applied TO a national income sus-
tanned at the highest and most in
fiated point ever reached"
! Such taxation and such an In
fated condition. Senator Byrd
said, would be almost as danger
GUS as deficit financing. He there
fore demanded q genuine and i'm
mediate reduction in expenditures
as the most reasonable and es-
sential thing to do.
This can be done. Admittedly
it is difficult. To do 1t as 1t should
be done would require cooperation
on the part OF the Executive
Branch of the Government. Con-
gress. and the public particularly
the pressure groups.
There must be o demand for
retrenchment which can not be
denied by bureaucracy which
has been raised on is years OF
excessive spending-a bureaucracy
which knows and practices the
tricks Of buying of such demand
with more spending.
There must be q reduction In
the overhead on existing pro-
grams, projects and policies which
can be accomplished best by simple
administrative efficiency which
does not require legislation.
There must be courageous ac-
ton by Congress in the rejection
Of new programs. propects and
policies which are not urgently
essential.
Under existing legislative facil-
tiles and procedures any worth
while reduction in expenditures
on already authorized Federal
programs, projects and policies
must originate with the adminis-
tration in the Executive Branch
which has the primary respon-
sibilty for administrative efficiency
and economy.
Reduction Recommendation
IF we are to avoid serious din
culties in the coming fiscal year
and a critical situation in fiscal
year 1851 we must act now to cur
tail the 1850 program and budget
which are pending at this time In
Congress.
ITO all concerned-the Public.
the Executive and the Congress
I submit:
81. Expenditures for the next
year could be reduced at least .
billion dollars by eliminating COM
pletely, or postponing until a more
appropriate time. nonessentiai
proposals among the 40 the Presi-
dent has submitted for new legis-
lation. The saving would be meas
ured not only in reduction OF ex-
penditures in the coming year but
indefinitely.
20. Other nonessentials already
authorized could be eliminated or
postponed, particularly in public
works, where at least another half
billion dollars could be saved out
of the proposed expenditures.
"3. 1t should not be unreason-
able to expect effective unification
of the armed services and co-or-
dination of their functions and
equipment to save O billion dollars,
in addition to reduction in civilian
manpower costs.
q. Excessive civilian employ
ment is another source Of major
savings. Civilian employment In
the Executive Branch in the year
before Pearl Harbor averaged