OCR Text |
Show THE PROGRESSIVE OPINION - Budget Bureau Assumes New Importance to Nation Director Harold D. Smith Responsible Only To President; Real Value Lies in Counsel Given to Nation's Lawmakers. By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator. WNU Service, 1343 H Street, N-- Washington, D. C. A budget that bites. That is what the United States gov-ernment will have if Harold Dewey Smith, director of the bureau of the budget since April, 1939, when Amer-ica started its astronomical spend-ing, has his way. He is not concerned with the size of Uncle Sam's bill alone his job is to see that the dollars appropriat-ed by the congress go to work, that no dollars are appropriated which aren't needed to do the job the con-gress wants done, that no two dol-lars are doing the same job. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the man who had just given his okeh to the biggest budget in American history while the ink on the report was still damp. So I wended my way up the curling staircase of the solemn old State De-partment building to his office (secon-d- floor front) and was ushered into the presence of Mr. Smith, a bland- - 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. "Today there is confusion and con-- flict between many government de-partments and agencies. Examina-tion 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 reconcili-laced ation hptwppn thp pnvprnmpnt a?pn. gentleman irom rvansas witn a middlewestern accent like the one which echoes through my natal corn fields. The last conversations be-tween Mr. Smith and the President were taking place just before the 1943 budget message was complet-ed. Mr. Smith, who budgets his own time as well as the government's money, gave me some fiscal philos-ophy between pipe-puff- "A budget should be an adminis-trative tool," he told me quietly, speaking with a happy combination of the poker-face- d accountant and the e corner-stor- e crony. Budgeting for governments mu-nicipal, state, nation were the re-sult of the efforts of the reformers, he explained. But, as usual, when . the reformers had the laws passed they ran off and left them to ad-minister themselves. The result was that budgeting dried up into book-keeping routine. "I have a new concept of budget ing," he said with a forthright mod-esty that characterizes his remarks about his work, "any clerk can add up figures." The real job of the budget bureau is to examine the programs of the administrative agencies for which the cash is to be spent, to weigh their significance in terms of economic service not just publish a report every year as big as a dictionary that serves to con-fuse the public. The year before Smith came into office the bureau of the budget had an appropriation of 187 thousand dol-lars 30 thousand of that went into the publication of the bound report. In other words, the agency which bottlenecks the spending of billions had 150 thousand to SDend on itself. 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 objectively." Politics doesn't worry Smith. He served under three governors of Michigan, of highly different tem-perament, 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 90 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-sult In many prospective women veterans, the WAACS, the WAVES, the WAFS, and the SPARS, who will have been living under regular mili-tary discipline for the duration a form of existence about as different from anything that home offers, as could possibly be. Separate Entity The bureau by law is a separate entity which is under no department. The director is responsible to the President The bureau reports to congress. "It is a staff agency," Smith point-ed out, "detached, objective, crit-ical." Today In Washington there is no doubt that this detached and objec-tive criticism has become a powerful element in the writing of laws of the land. Before a bill is passed it goes under the microscope of the budg-eteer- Smith, it is generally admit-ted, has as much influence on the President, when it comes to the for-mation of policy which is frozen into law, as any man in Washington. He reviews every bill which is passed and advises whether the President should sign it or veto it. But the real, constructive value of the bureau of the budget which has been given a dynamic force under Smith's direction, is the advice and counsel it can render in advance of the passage of legislation. Proponents of a bill ask the budget bureau's advice before they present their testimony to the committees which pass life or death sentences on a measure. And it is Smith's idea to make this an increasingly positive function; to compile fre-quent important technical reports on proposed programs for the guidance of the committees. The budget bureau has always con-sulted with the departments and agencies and the common practice of a department head is to ask for more than he expects in the hope he won't get much less than he wants. Smith's idea is to provide active co- - From a Commentator's Mail: Draft boards seem ruthless . . . We have four small children under 12 years of age. One a tiny baby and I wonder if I am selfish in need-ing his (the father's) advice and help to raise the children. Colo-rado. 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 3A and is just 36. 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 15 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 go voluntarily into a vital industry. California. As farmers, we work from 70 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 a "favored" class but are doing our best to do our share. Colorado. It 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-ple facts. Louisiana. My husband owns and operates a liquor store . . . Since liquor is and meat is, I 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 I have seen copper toys with rubber tires displayed in store windows. The irony of it! Louisiana. B R I E F S . . by Baukhage The Forest Service has reported to the secretary of agriculture that . about 80 per cent of all cutting on private timberlands is "still without conscious regard to perpetuating timber growth." The census director has estimated that 54,000,000 persons in the United States are without legal proof of birth. "Ships for Victory" in World War I is the theme of an exhibit of rec-ords on public display at the Na-tional Archives. The exhibit is a graphic study of merchant vessels in World War I selected from the files of the shipping board and other federal agencies whose war records are in the custody of the National Archives. Correspondence, posters, photographs and other types of rec-ords describe the construction by the government not only of steel and wooden ships, but also of con-crete ships and prefabricated boats. The War Production board has set up an office to handle complaints about its questionnaires. A new floating match box has been developed for United States soldiers expecting mountain or jungle duty. The new container has an emergen-cy compass built in to the top, and it is so strong it will not break if a man falls on it. Five dollars and a piece of string. That was the beginning of a small work room in an American con-valescent hospital in England which turned into a humming industry, using the talents of many soldiers. One of the doctors, interested in weaving belts and lanyards, asked the American Red Cross to lend financial support to the purchase of different types of twine. And now doctors and patients are turning out desks, chairs, tables made from old packing cases, coat hangers and pic-ture frames. WEEKLY MEWS ANALYSIS Jap Armada Repulsed in New Guinea; Russians' Rostov -- Caucasus Offensive Wins Back Vital Areas From Germans; FDR Cites 'Miracle' of War Production (EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions are expressed In these columns, they are those of Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.; ' Released by Western Newspaper Union. .. CONGRESS: Farm Bloc Program Increasing strength of the farm bloc's influence in the 78th congress was evident as leaders rnob.lized their forces in both houses and to administration farm policies seek release from the armed forces of drafted farm youth as a means of relieving the agricultural man-pow-shortage. That the farm bloc had support for its efforts in rural America was indicated by the action of five major farm organizations in uniting be-hind the program. These groups in-clude the National Association of Commissioners, Secretaries and Di-rectors of Agriculture; the American the Na-tional Farm Bureau Federation; Grange; the Milk Producers Federation and the National Co-operative Council. Speaking for the farm bloc, Sena-tor John Bankhead of Alabama said that preservation of the farm labor supply should figure in a complete redistribution of manpower. Indicat-ing the farm bloc's support of the farm organizations' appeal for re-lease of drafted farm youth, he as-serted that the estimated 3,000,000 to 3,500,000 men scheduled to be drafted in 1943 might well be diverted to production of both weapons and food. CONSUMER GOODS: Fewer Purchases Ahead Purchases of consumer goods and services by American civilians will register declines of 10 to 15 per cent in 1943, while production of goods will show a 15 to 20 per cent dip, according to a prediction by the Office of Civilian Supply of the War Production board. The OCS estimated that the lag in production would be offset by the ab- - j' v y u Ah First picture of an American officer questioning German prisoners is shown above, as Maj. William Yarborough (bareheaded) of Seattle, Wash., interrogates two German prisoners taken In Tunisia. Fighting French troopers look on. Major Yarborough is liaison officer between the ad-vanced U. S. forces and the French in Tunisia. sorption of ZD per cent or. me inven-tories on hand at the beginning of the year. Largest drop in buying is expect-ed in durable goods, continuing a trend started in 1942 when purchases by civilians declined 45 per cent be-low 1941. This year's decline is es-timated at 35 per cent below 1942. The OCS said that production of con-sumer goods from steel would virtual-ly stop. VICTORY PREDICTIONS Premature, Says Davis White-haire- d OWI Chief Elmer Davis, who prides himself on being realistic, exercised that trait when he took exception to Admiral Wil-liam F. Halsey's prediction of a United Nations' victory this year. Commenting on the naval officer's forecast, Davis said: "I have no information to support such a pre-diction, although I have been trying to get some." Davis pointed out that the Ger-mans are still building submarines faster than the Allies are sinking them and the toll is ereat- - ROOSEVELT: Better World Ahead Bad news for the Axis, good news for the United Nations and the as-surance of victory followed by post-war economic security were the three most significant elements in President Roosevelt's annual mes-sage to the 78th congress. In delivering his bad news to the Axis on all fronts, the President bluntly announced: "Now our aim is to force the Japanese to fight. Last year we stopped them. This year we intend to advance." In the African area he promised that the last vestige of Axis power would be driven from the south shores of the Mediterranean. Concerning Eu-rope, he said, "We are going to strike and strike hard." The good news for the United Na-tions was contained in Mr. Roose-velt's enumeration of the "miracle of production" at home, as well as the evidence of close between all Allied leaders. In his summary of accomplishments dur-ing the last year, the President list-ed the production of 48,000 airplanes, 56,000 tanks and ar-tillery weapons, and 10,431,000,000 rounds of ammunition and the trans-porting of 1,500,000 men of our 7,000,-00- 0 armed forces overseas. Signif-icantly, he revealed that more sup-plies are now being flown by Ameri-can planes to China than were ever transported over the Burma road. In his approaches to postwar plan-ning and domestic policy, the Presi-dent succeeded in promoting good will for the administration in a con-gress now closely balanced in po- - SOUTH PACIFIC: Japs Are Stubborn Although General MacArthur's forces had cleared the enemy out of the Papuan peninsula,, the Japs still held an area in New Guinea as large as Texas and Oklahoma combined. That the Nipponese intended to stub-bornly hold this' area was evident from their naval operations to re-inforce it. First Jap efforts in this direction were frustrated when United Nations bombers attacked a convoy of 10 enemy ships off Lae, 160 miles up the eastern New Guinea coast from Buna. The Allied airmen sank two ships, one a 15,000-to- n vessel loaded with troops, scored hits on a third and shot down 18 Jap planes, accord-ing to a communique from General MacArthur's headquarters. Meanwhile other Allied airmen roved as far as Gasmata and Ra-ba-in neighboring New Britain, where unusually heavy concentra-tions of Jap troop and supply ships and war craft had assembled. In the Solomons, American fliers continued to assert Allied air su-premacy by attacking Jap airfields at Munda and Kahili on Bougainville island. Meanwhile in Burma, Brit-ish planes strafed the area northwest of Akyab and damaged enemy ship-ping off Burma's west coast. RUSS STEAMROLLER: Gains Momentum Best news for the United Nations' cause continued to come from the g expanses of south and cen-- M' 1 litical faith. He suggested princi-ples rather than specific recommen-dations for legislation that might stir up factional disputes. NORTH AFRICA: Allies Coil Give and take operations contin-ued on the Tunisian front, with the Allied forces steadily recruiting their strength until superior air and land power aided by more favorable weather would enable them to smash ahead in the all-o- assault for and Tunis. As American troop concentrations were speeded in the new U. S. fifth under Lieut. Gen. Mark Clark, Brit-ish infantry units wrested important heights from the Germans west of Bizerte. The British, however, were dis-lodged from these positions by fierce German counter-attack- s indicating the enemy's determination to contest every remaining foot of African soil. British and American bombers were active in the air, while Allied submarines harassed Axis shipping in the Mediterranean, sinking two enemy ships believed to be carrying troops to Africa. In the east, General Sir Bernard Montgomery's British eighth army had been sparring for an opening for a new push on Tripoli. On the diplomatic front it was re-ported that Gen. Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Fighting French, and Gen. Henri Giraud had agreed to a discussion of North African problems designed to speed French action against the Axis in collaboration with their Allies. LOCAL TRANSPORT: trai JKussia. The Reds' threat aimed at Rostov, vital city at the mouth of the Don, grew more men-acing to the Nazi defenders, as both the northern and southern arms of the pincers continued to make new gains, capturing 61 villages in the Middle Don and rolling up impres-sive advances in the Caucasus. The Caucasus offensive was espe-cially significant, for after expelling the Nazis from Mozdok, gateway to the Grozny oil fields, and from stra-tegic Nalchik, the Russ pressed the retreating Germans hard, advanc-ing toward Mineralne Vody, center of a network of Caucasus railroads. The capture of more than a dozen Caucasus towns indicated that the Nazi front in the area was breaking up faster than in any previous bat-tles. The seriousness of the German plight in the Caucasus was empha-sized by the fact that for the first time the Berlin radio conceded that Axis troops were retreating in the east Caucasus, explaining that their troops had carried out "a shorten-ing of the front, according to plan by giving up advanced strong points." PETROLEUM RATION: East Curbed Again The OPA cut deeper into the use of rationed petroleum products in 17 eastern states, when an order banned pleasure driving and slashed the amount of fuel oil that schools, stores, theaters and establishments may consume to 25 per cent below present rations, giv-ing them about 45 per cent of normal requirements. Future operation of many amuse-- ELMER DAVIS ing "heavy losses In ships and the cargoes that go with them and some-times trained men in them." The director of war information tempered his pessimistic views, how-ever, by stating- that the Allied na-tions, particularly the United States, for some months past have been building more ships than Axis sub-marines have been sinking. POSTWAR CARS: To Cost $400 Radically new light-we'ig- passen-ger cars that may sell for as little as $400 were envisioned by F. C Crawford, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, as a postwar development resulting from amazing strides in metallurgy Mr. Crawford said that motorists in the coming peace era will have better gasoline than the e fuel now used for combat aircraft The superior gasoline, plus greater use of light metals developed during the war, wiU give the American peo- ple far greater mileage on their cars and the cheapest automo- bile transportation in history The NAM president said automo- bile companies expect to start pro- duction on some cars immediately after the war, but that the new post- war models probably will not appear for 15 to 18 months afterward ODT Takes Over ' In a executive order designed to speed up the movement of war workers, President Roosevelt placed Defense Transportation Di-rector Joseph B. Eastman in charge of local bus lines and street cars. The effect was to give ODT com-plete supervision over all local trans-portation equipment and to authorize Mr. Eastman to revise present serv-ice and schedules wherever neces-sary to step up the movement of pas-sengers to and from war piats. The order defined "local passenger transportation equipment" as includ-ing buses, street railway cars, trolley coaches, trucks converted for pas-senger transportation and "other ve-hicles and vessels used or capable of being used to carry nine or more passengers including the operator in public or private carrier service." Mr. Eastman was given veto power over all contracts for the purchase or lease- of local transportation Equipment, except those held by com-mon carriers, which include street car and bus lines. ment places was leu in doubt, since the OPA order specifically banned motoring to theaters as well as race tracks, and the fuel restrictions threatened to make theaters and night clubs cool beyond comfort. The OPA warned, too, that future cuts in fuel oil rations might be necessary. Stern measures faced motorists violating the new orders. Any car owner driving to amusement centers or to "purely social engagements" was liable to the cancellation of ail or part of his gasoline ration. CANNED GOODS: 35.4 PoundsQuota The can opener will continue to be an important implement in Amer-ican kitchens, in spite of wartime curtailments due to military needs a statement by the department of agriculture revealed. The depart-ment estimated that the average civilian consumer can look forward to a ration of between 35.4 and 40.3 pounds of commercially canned foods this year. MISCELLANY: I NEW YORK: The American peo-pi- e contributed more than $9,000 000 to United China relief during 1942 Wendell L. Willkie announced he e aJf.0Vfr a nati"l radio hook-up- , honorary national of the drive, said that last year's donations amounted to $7,083 357 in cash and pledges totaling $2,209,676 Gifts, he said, ranged from 3 cente to Bernard Baruch's $100,000 BERN: Ir in the United States a chemical element'-N- tTZi primary substances which mf all matter, has now been S"tU5 from its parent substance radfum in sufficient quantity so that I ' be photographed 1 study, it was announce! here bv? scientists at the rariin The collaborate, a VwT Minder and Dr. Alice Leih wife of a British dlplt"' pupil of Mme. Curie co dil 8 of radium. Dr Minder uT 940 dlScovd "shredded x it may be freshened coconut t !: ' a few minutesin A coating of sheila, of metal wasteba cans prevents' ru,t t;; them a good deal ar": , s,lerto;;: If you wiU rub A. paraffin on your snov, ' using it, you wiU , not stick to it. atl1: . Ify haven't an iCPk ice cubes in a rub fe tie wrist securely ever, when thefog; W"j WNL Srts ELMER TWITCHELL ON THE NEW RATIONING Yes and no," said Elmer Twitch-el- l today when asked if he minded the latest ban on canned stuff. I got pretty sick of it down through toe years. In fact, I suppose I have suffered as much from hastily pre-pared canned bean suppers as y There were many times when I thought the country had stopped delivering food in any other way. 'If Uncle Sam had called for less canned goods years ago I would have cheered till I was blue m the face. After every meal in my house there were tin cans all over the place. Nothing would have disrupt-ed our home more than the loss of a can opener. "My wife seemed to have for-gotten that food came out of the ground. She developed the no- -, tion that men could live via the canning corporations alone. She thought food was something de-pendent on complete liaison be-tween the tin mines, the Dean-eries and the gas range. "And I never saw much excuse for it untU the past year during which time the old gal has been flying all over the map in something she calls home front activities, letting all her home affairs go to pot. "Now I claim that among the home front activities conducive to preserving morale and winning the war few take precedence over mak-ing the home fairly comfortable and doing a little decent cooking now and then. "A lot of those women you see trotting around in all sorts of uni-forms or with. all sorts of bands on their arms are just sabotaging the home front by leaving the men folk hungry, cold, disgusted and pretty sore. "I know a couple of 'em who are spending 12 hours a day working on the problem of sustenance, morale and first aid while their husbands are so neglected that they could use some ambulatory aid right now. "The point of which is that thou-sands of American husbands who don't know much about cooking are obliged to depend on canned stuff. Something they just dig out of a container and hold over a gas flame five minutes. If they find they are suddenly cut off from canned food they are going to be in a bad way." "Don't you think all men 'should learn to cook?" we asked Elmer. "Learn to cook!" he ex-claimed. "They should now learn to scout and forage." RHYMES FOR THE CANNED GOODS CRISIS Cut me down on canned fruit juices it deals the Axis deuces. Take away those pitted cherries; 1 ney wM give Adolf the berries. Lima beans Vll gladly lay off 1 in victory they'll pay off. Pork and beans? Well, ril go easy they make Der Fuehrer wheezy. Carrots, corn, asparagus? Take 'em and swamp "Hit" and uMuss.m In this rationing of canned goods there is this thing to bear in mind: Maybe the can you give up will be the one they'll tie on Hitler. GONE WITH THE RATION CARDS 1 I'll take a second helping. 2 Oh, have another chop! 3 I'd like to reduce but I just can't stop eating everything. 4 Please pass the butter! 5 Add a cup of sugar and a quart of rich cream and stir well. 6 You are cordially Invited to a beefsteak dinner, tickets to be SI per plate. 7 My order of steak hasn't ar-rived yet; what's the matter? 8 Just cut me off some round steak for the dog. 9 And I'll take ten or twelve cans of soup, too. 10The best dinner In town for 40 cents. WINTER, 1942-43- . I pull down shades, I wear my longs; tve put up new storm doors; I sleep with heavy, woolen socks; Hugs cover all my floors. Each crack is sealed, I've closed off rooms; Such neat tricks I well know; I ve even insulated pipes Uo I keep warm? Gosh! No! PIER. men. WhS'STto? dftaTmy branchsorCse X' an,L ',tuck 10 his U er desman Tet il a footmstde the door. aautreVhh0WaySstuo was buildtog a b?ffTryb0dy else satisfactionsese 'da088 hi DO YOU -X-uatru-dbet?"c-- a little sense? make Add similes: Hotls., fe a federal tth""'ffle f aer telling toV ""8 e dowu to a Z 'our oeffrees. "'axmium of 65 How To r,: Bronchitis' Creomulslon relieves It goes right to to help loosen germ laden phlegm, and : to soothe and heal , flamed bronchial murr,'' branes. Tell your drUBe:;, a bottle of Creomulsion derstanding you must like i,' quickly allays the cough have your money back. ' CREOMULS:' for Coughs. Chest Colds, ig Sth " ail-i::- : In NR (Nature's Rene. there are no chemicals, derivatives. NR Ta: ferent act different. Puui, a combination of 10 ver dients formulated over 50 Uncoated or candy coated, is dependable, thorough, millions of NR's have pre pox today ... or larger e NR TOMur.f,: ; TAKE ATONIC j MANY DOCTCKS RECOMMEf.'D VV- - MILLIONS TVH0 OUT" easily due to c ' of Vitamins A and D - i ing good-tastin- g Scor '. sion daily. Also hel; s sistance against con and other winter ii.s :: is a dietary deficiency mins A and D. 2" Scott's Emulsion. T:. ... und All c. &J '.Mi n L.,- - JUST A- - -- DASH IM FEATHERS. u"ij r. I HOTEL mC n OQDEN, UTAH J :,l tSt Room-J- S8 B""''.-- FimllT Roorai for uie Alt Cooltd K"""'' W' Dlnin Room Cosl" How- -' Clumber ot Comm" Hotel Ben Lo; OGDEN. tlT" Largest Elm i The Rathbone elm of is believed to be the in America. The tr feet in circumference. Oak Deeded L i A Georgia owner ot ;.: his will deeded to the t. sion of itself and all 1. eight feet. Witness to T For success I ask r.c this to bear unflinch: ; the truth. James Ru - Thinks Better "Daddy, what's a "It's a man who think.-;,- - j acts and then doesn'tafJ |