Show r 1 Budget System Is Urged In hi Congress to Save Money By National Security league Chairman Or Orth Oi l Outlines Some Reforms for Which Committee Is Working r By fly Charles D. D Orth Mr r. r Orth lj IJ a Now York business businessman man who has given careful study to congressional matters lIe He was chairman chairman chair chair- man of ot tho the National Security leagues league's congressional committee which at attracted attracted attracted at- at attention throughout tho the country coun cotin- try b by its Intensive campaign just be before before be- be fore tore the recent election for tor seating In Congress only nl men of ot demonstrated loyalty und and n ability Mr 11 Orth is chair chair- n 1 an of tho the Security leagues longue's committee commit commit- tee teo on Congress through which this I great patriotic organization will work for tOI certain permanent congressional reforms In tho ho following article Mr Orth sets forth somo flomo of or tho the matters to which hi Ills hll committee will immediately devote it its mention attention Popular Interest In the choosing of ot the Congress c. c cf the tho United States has I not been boen as great for tor man many years as os asIt It was ns at the tho last election Tho The strongly strong strong- S ly 1 partisan character which tho the con- con S teal assumed In its last phases was I wasS only partially responsible for tor this Before Be Bo- S foro fore that tc feature ture presented Itself Itsel nn an active A Interest on tho the part of ot the voters vot vot- oters S ers era In many congre congressional district all nIl allover over 01 the country had been aroused Inan In Inan I an nn effort to replace members of ot Congress Con- Con Kiess gress who hall had demonstrated by their records a n lack hack of ot per cent cant Americanism Ameri Amen or foresight good Judgment or moral courage to do tho right thing thinS at the right time This Insistence on tho the part of or t the tho o people of ot a high standard stand stand- and ard has come como at the right t time timo and has had excellent results In tho the direction S Ion tion of or so 80 advancing tho the average of tho ho membership of ot Congress In ca capacity capacity ca- ca S and statesmanlike quality that tho the promise of increased efficiency may bo be realized Tho grave gra duties and responsibilities S tics ties of ot the tremendous crisis which the country Is facing acing has been bean dinned Into the hue oars ears of ot tho the governors I and ond tho the governed go until the tho contempt which is bret bred of ot familiar familiarity It threatens threat threat- ens to vitiate the genuine Importance I of or tho ho Certainly not since tho the civil chU war if It indeed at an any time In our history ory has Con Congress res faced such nuch gigantic problems as S at present Tho The will of ot tho the people has hns been EO sc o i clearly lf tr tn Hi titu 1 that hn t an termination lt h which h may b aY bo be given i th the tho war shall to the principle of ot Unconditional l Surrender that It ml may be h expected that either tho the present or Sixty fifth or tho the newly newly- elected or Sixty sixth Congress will wil I II give effect to that mandate But tho the I appalling appalling- problem of ot reconstruction I IS will ill fall tall to the tho lot of bt t tho the new ne' Con Con- S gress That oVer every overy member of ot It will bo bc u animated w with th n a fervent desire to give he of ot the best beet that Is b within him there thero ran an be no doubt But between idealism Idealism Ideal ideal- S ism ond realism a ns as between intention and performance there Is often otten a wide d discrepancy I son op a n cy The probability of or disappointment n will ill be lessened if lr the members of ot Congress will sot act their own on house In order before or at nt an any rate at the I same time they endeavor or to sot set tho nations nation's In order The business of ot tho the United Stat States s government go Is the biggest business inthe In tho the world of ot which Congress Is tho the legislative e or planning branch It therefore should sh govern go Itself moro more I oV or less les b by the lbs same samo principles and methods which have o demonstrated the practical business efficiency of tho the American people having In mind always however how that the welfare of or thus tho people nt at large or tho the greatest reat st good for tor tho the greatest number I Is thoI tho the chief objective which their particular business or organization must have havo in I view I ow I The development of ot trado trade Is one of tho the prime functions of or every e government govern govern- ment Treaties tho the acquirement of colonies preferential tariffs tarUtA are ore all devices de devices do- do vices ices for tor securing trado trade with which to Insure or Improve o the material well well- being of or tho the of or tho tile whole countr coun coun- tr try Trl Trade Trado o Is conducted b by business businessmen men who have ha developed a 0 highly specialized ape ape- typo of ot efficiency It Is unfortunate unfortunate that tho use at nf tho the term big bib business has tended to create croato cre cro- ate ato a hazy prejudice In tho the minds of ot otman man many people against all large business In In other words a n. prejudice against tho the organized me medium lum through h which the tho welfare of or tho the entire country functions funo- funo ions It would be e an excellent thing If It this baseless and unjust prejudice could be limited to tho the few bad spots the tho existence of or which has been definitely deft deft- proved pro anti and if It tho the people would Insist upon business men mOn or of demonstrated demonstrated demon demon- high bight character and efficiency to represent them In Con Congress ress The predominance of ot lawyers In that body has often otten been commented 1 upon According According According Ac Ac- cording to the congressional directory of ot January Januar 1918 of or the 43 members members mem morn bers berg of ot the House and two seventy of ot tho the six ninety-six members of ot the tho Senate are ore lawyers If H. If v when hen their terms ex expire expire ex- ex pire pine those members of ot tho the legal profession proCession profession pro pro- Cession wIle who have not demonstrated their claim to election re-election were replaced with th tho right kind or of business men It would be he a stop forwar forward Good Administration Tho The prime objectives os of ot good business business busi bus ness administration are efficiency and economy It If Congress wishes to convince convince con con- vince tho the people of ot the tho country countr that It Is determined to encompass these two Important conditions It must do doso doso o oso so by establishing establishing- Itself on a a. business basis Its Ito forces must bo be so organised organized organ organ- and applied that lucre thoro will be hc no superfluous machinery and no useless expenditures The TIle a administrators of the tho business of or ortho I IThe tho tito United States government havo o been chosen for tor tho next Vent t twenty six months or strictly speaking until I March 4 4 I. 1921 The chief administrators having thus been fixed fi and anti determined tho ho on only remaining question of ot adminIstration administration administration admin admin- Is that the experts to 0 rU assist In working out the business bulnes affairs of oC i the country shall shaH bo be selected from the ranks of or tho the available a with an nn eye eyo sin sin- gb Kle ce to their ability and o efficiency Econom Economy of or administration la iS still however er a rL question Budget rite Tho greatest single factor In the tho di direction ill ill- 1 t of or government Io economy would woul 1 be tho the establishment of ot a n budget HS Hys- I tem tern The Tho United States StateR Is la the tho only great gloat country which docs does not follow Collow It Divested of ot the refinements of ot argument ment merit pro and against the tho Cun fundamental I propriety of ot this method of controlling and directing expenditures IH Is a n non- non debatable subject If It tho the head hend of a household who knows what his Income Is or lIkel likely to bu bo would permit er e every member of ot his family to spend what suited their fane fancy or what In their Individual Judgment was desirable ho hu would 1111 soon noon meet with disaster Tho The States government averts disaster ter or under similar circumstances merely merely mere mere- ly because It can ean call upon tho the people at largo large to pay tho the bills bill but the tho Inherent In In- In herent horent fallacy of the motho methods s followed by the government remains apparent Under present conditions each ono one of or ten or twelve big spending committees commit commit- tees of or Congress can tu expenditures expend expendi l- l tures turca without the tho slightest regard to revenue Not only can cm they originate them but by a system of rolling log votes which hn has grown up In Congress they can cnn got them passo passed Committee No 0 1 g ge gos Hu a Its appropriation bills pa passed soll by threatening all nIl the other committees committees committees commit commit- tees not to vote for tor their bills Thus Thu does the tho work of or Congress on its most Important single functions become perfunctory perfunctory per per- Instead of ot Intelligent nt Common Tho revenues of or the countr country for each cach coming cominS' fiscal year are arc fairly well Voll es established established established es- es b by existing laws Tho expenditures expenditures ex ex- of ot the tho country countr should bo ho governed o accordingly Not ot once but Jilt several times limos In tho recent past has a a. chairman of tho ho committee on appropriations appropriations appropriations presented a n statement to tho thu effect that estimated revenues won sa say and estimated c expenditures say Tho latter sum merely morel represented the total of ot what the various committees had asked I for I Economy Econom and common sense demand tho establishment of ot a budget commit commit- committee too tee In Congress the duties of ot which committee should be to co ordinate the I expenditures of ot tho the various departments departments depart depart- ments meats of ot the tine government to the tho estimated estimated esti esti- mated revenues How tho the budget committee com com- should bo be constituted Is nn an I estl-I Important important Im im- im question which calls cans for tor deep consideration and tho the best available ju judgment I Medium J It would woul not Hot bo be necessary for or this to assume all the functions of ot f th the tho ten ton or twelve committees which now supervise tho expenditures of the tho I various departments of ot tho the government It only would bo necessary for tor tho the budget budget bud bud- get got committee to co ordinate tho the work of tho ho other othor con committees and to or co I dinato tho expenses with tho the estimated revenue As the matter now stands thoro thore Is la a divided responsibility for tor extravagance ex ex- I anco an and tho the people at large larse cannot cannot cannot can can- not fix the the tho blame With a budget committee com corn In existence the blame would he be automatically centered a a. responsible tile ble me medium lum The Tho spending of ot other peoples people's mon money y Is a a. weakness for tor which Congress like man many Individuals has a n. special tion lion The ability to do this Is IA I at the root of ot th the opposition to a budget js- js tern on the part of ot Congress Itself Itsel The I people of or tho the country In their own In Individual individual In- In I financial Interests should demand de do- maud mand that not only extravagances but tho the methods which generate the tho extravagance should bo be abolished Rich and poor alike are interested in this ques quos tion ion The Tile former can look moro mono or loss less after themselves but the latter need tho the protection of an economical government gov gov- o and havo have tho the power to bring It about If It tIle thc they will but exert eert that power Good citizens rich or poor should unite In a demand deman for tor the budget bud bud- got get system as tho the only safe sate ant and sane Bane wa way of ot regulating the country's In Income Income income In- In come and expenditures J Seniority n An Important step that should bo ho taken along tho lines of ot Increased efficiency effi ettl- I atone clency Is tho the Abolition t of ot the rule under under under un un- un- un der which tho the chairmanship of or com corn committees committees is determined b by seniority of membership on tho the respective o committees committees committees commit commit- tees of tho the m members of or th majority part party Under this system these chairmanships chairmanships chair chair- arc aro predestined years cars In iii ad adI adVance advance ad- ad I vance Thus when tho the country had toI todeal to todeal I deal with the crisis of or the past four tour years oars tho chairman of ot the Important and active committees were men who had hall been appointed to their places years Oars ago ao and had to be accepted without without without with with- out regard to their qualifications or capacity c. It Is safe flate to sa say that no member of or Congress is an advocate of ot et that the hereditary government gO yet is principle which determines tho the chairmanship chairmanship chair chair- I manship of or committees It should be bo changed forthwith so that the tho men b bet beat t CI fitted by hy character capacity and experience epe should servo o the tho country countr In these Important posts Another evil which should be corrected cor cor- Is tho ho abuse of or the franking privilege Eo Thero Is deposited dall dally daily inthe in tho the Washington the stupendous stupendous dous ulous total of ot tons of ot mall mail matter on which no postage Is paid Of Ot courso course a largo large part or of this Is necessary government gO gov business On tho ho other hand a substantial part of ot it is improper ex expense ox- ox pense Pease I For or instance e cr every member of ot Congress under tinder his franking privilege can mail man an unlimited amount of or matter matter mat mat- ter which Is carried at nt Mr or Mrs Irs Taxpayers Taxpayer's Taxpayers Taxpayer's Tax Tax- payers payer's expense It frequently happens especially Just prior to elections that congressmen mall mail tens of or thousands of ot copies o of OL some tome speech or alleged speech which Is carried in tho the malls feo of or chargo charge Another instance of ot tho the of or public money is the tho mailInG mailing mail mail- I ing ng of or thousands s of ot packets pacota of or flower lor and vegetable seeds b by members of ot Congress to their constituents who Inmost in inmost m most ost cases consign them to the waste t basket ins k o t. t |