Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-15

I should like to talk facts will
you tonight-about what hap
pens to the tax dollars that YOU
send to Washington.
I am speaking from the presi
Dental Office here in the Whit,
House. In outward respects
this is quite an ordinary room
The furniture. the books, tn,
telephones, even the painting,
on the wall. are in no sens,
unusual.
But in one respect this room
is unusual.
To this office-to the Presi.
dent. whoever he may be, ther,
comes every day from all part.
Of the land and from all parts o.
the world a steady fiow Of dis.
patches. reports and visitors
They tell Of the needs, the sue.
cesses and the disappointment.
Of our people in their efforts Il
help achieve peace with justice
In the world. They tell. too. Of
the progress and difficulties ir
building a sturdy. prosperou.
and just society here at home.
On the basis Of this informa.
ton. decisions, affecting all Of
US, have to be made every day
Because your President, aside
from the Vice President, is the
only Government official chosen
by q vote Of all the people. he
must make his decisions on the
basis Of what he thinks is best
for all the people. He cannot
consider only a district, State OF
region in developing solutions tc
problems. He must always use
the yardstick Of the national In
terest.
1t Is from this overall viewpoint
that ! want to talk with you
conight about the cost of running
your Government.
The budget now before Con.
Eress is huge; even though II
represents sharply smaller part
Of our national production thar
the first budget I submitted t.
the Congress four years ago
Since then we have sought un-
eeasingly to make the taxpayers
dollar go further.
We have. for example. cut the
Government payroll by nearly
$50. 900 positions.
Taxes were cut in 1854 with
savings so far of some SIS bill
hon to the American taxpayer.
The proposed budget is bal
anced-the third in q row.
We have, with q view to econ
cmies. worked Fundamentally
with the Congress.
The budget now under discus
sion represents carefully studied
estimates Of the cost of all the
things the Government is re-
CURED by law to do. or by what
We believe necessary.
No Surprises In Budget
All Of these things I have dis
oussed with you many times be-
fore. Indeed, most of these ma
tional programs have been on
the book for some years. There
are no surprise proposals in this
budget. 1t was made up under
my personal direction by men
and women who believe deeply
IN economy and efficiency in
Government. In the process
some $13 billion in departmental
requests were eliminated.
When a budget is sent to Con-
aress it contains estimates OF
costs reaching Is months into
the future. So. as ! have fire.
quently pointed out. these esti-
mates cannot be exact to the
very last dollar. That is why
they are kept under constant
examination in all executive de-
partmentS-both before and after
the budget goes to the Congress
Many Of these estimates are
based upon formulas in laws
passed by the Congress. They
are as accurate as can be made
based on our experience in ad-
uinistering these laws. So, If the
Congress should cut the estimate;
in this budget for things that
are fixed by law, like veterans
compensation and pensions. il
should be clear that such cut;
would not save money, because
the actual costs, whatever they
turn out to be must, by law, be
paid.
Must Fulfil National Interest
I have often been asked how
big our Federal budget ought tc
be. That question calls to minc
q story about Abraham Lincoln
He was asked one day how Ions
ne thought a mans legs ought
20 be. He looked down quizzically
ut his long lanky legs and replied
swell, they certainly ought II
reach to the ground"
Now that's not a very exact
formula. but 1t has its point here
A budget. too. ought to reach the
ground. In this case. is the es.
sential national interest-and nc
more. That is the purpose Of thi.
budget.
No great reductions in 1t arr
possible unless Congress elm.
mates or curtails existing
Federal programs, or all Of III
demand less service from tn,
Government. or unless we ar,
willing to gamble with the safety
Of our country.
In this troubled world. oul
foremost national need is. o.
course, our own security. tn,
cost is great, indeed-over Sal
billion in the budget now before
the Congress. This is mainl!
what makes the budget so larg,
the costs Of our present Sc
curity and our quest for a jus
and lasting peace. There is n,
cut-rate price for security.
Nonseeurity Costs
But before considering thi