The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-01-16
WARREN URGES
SAVING MONEY
FOR CONVENT
Comptroller General Cites
Examples for Congress-
men Where Savings
= Are Possible

Congress knows little about the
General Accounting Office, presid-
ed over by Comptroller General
Lindsay Warren. 1t often forgets
hat this office has pointed the
way to huge Examinations of Gov
eminent waste. In fact this is what
it was set up to do.
Mr.. Warren last week called at
tention of Congressman and Sem
ators to some of the important
phases of this office. He said:
My dear Senator:
A few years ago, during a con-
versation with several Members of
Congress, l was amazed to learn
how little information Congress as
a whole had about the General Ac-
counting Office and it's place in our
Government. At the suggestion of
those Members l sent a short let
ter to the Congress pointing up
certain facts about the Office
which l thought every Member
would want to know. Since that
time, l have sent a similar letter
at the beginning of each new Con-
gress. That is the reason for this
letter which requires no reply.
The General Accounting Office
is in the Legislative branch. 1t is
the agency of the Congress to
audit and settle accounts and
claims of the Government, and to
advise and assist the Congress and
the departments and agencies on
matters relating to public expendi-
lures. The Comptroller General is
appointed for a term of Is years
and cannot be reappointed. He can
be removed from office only by the
Congress.
l have said on a number of &C.
casions, and have no hesitancy in
repeating it at this time of intense
discussion of budgets and expendi-
lures, there is not a department or
agency in the Government that
cannot reduce the number of it's
employees, providing there is a
will to do so. 1t is not an easy job,
even if you have the will, but l
think the results we have achieved
in the GAO without any mandate
from the Congress furnish ample
proof that it can be done. In April
1916, the number of our employees
reached a peak of 14,904. There
were 6,204 employees on January
/, 1853. This is reduction of $500
or nearly 500 in the last seven
years. Of this number, ITO were
transferred to the Post Office De-
partment.
- Our accomplishments in reduc-
ling personnel have been brought
about by constant surveys of our
work and the elimination of pro-
cedures which serve no useful pur-
pose under present-day conditions.
In cases where changes were need
ed, but legal obstacles precluded
them, we asked and received from
the Congress revisions in the law.
In bringing about changes we have
always tried to make sure there
would be no loss of control of pub
lie funds. There has not been. In
fact, the revised procedures are
enabling the GAO and the Govern
ment generally to do a far more
competent job.
l know statistics are dull but
these will give some idea of the
volume of our work last year: 21,-
100000 vouchers audited; 508,000
claims settled; 264,000,000 checks
reconciled; 10000 decisions render
ed to departments, agencies, claim
ants and others; inspections made
by Investigators of 691 different
Government offices; % audit re-
ports submitted to the Congress,
including reports of 1851 audits of
all Government corporations; work
on accounting systems done in
nearly every department and agen-
cy of the Government; 820 reports
made to the Congress and its COM
mittees; and $500 replies made to
individual members of Congress.
The GAO has continued to make
collections of amounts illegally or
otherwise improperly paid out far
in excess of the. cost of operating
the Office. The GAO is one of the
few agencies in the Government
that more than pays its way. Col