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mental members will stand in a difficult position in regard to the question of increasing the expenditure of government by the Diet. This is one point to be guarded against in the adoption of a constitutional Government.’

We have completed many sessions of the Diet, and in consideration of its record in these past years I fear we have been realizing the evil predicted, and the attention of the proper officials should be called to this evil, in view of adopting an economic policy for our country. Also the members of both Houses should make a firm stand in regard to Bills proposed by the officials of a financial nature, so long as there is not caused an obstinate opposition to the Cabinet. For the carrying out of any economic policy these points should be kept constantly in view by the Cabinet and financial officials.

For the third step in the pursuance of an economic policy I would advise a ‘Supply Department’ within the Government, to furnish articles needed by the Government. Though this may not appear to be of great importance, it cannot be said to be trivial in view of the fact that our Government housekeeping is conducted on a basis of something like 280,000,000 yen, and the goods consumed therein amount to an enormous figure. Under the present system there is a Treasury official in each department. At the end of each annual clearing, whatever is not used in purchasing is returned to the department of the Treasury. The officials of each of these departments seem to prefer to dispose of the money to returning it to the Treasury department. Hence has arisen the habit of buying unnecessary articles with the surplus, and laying them in store till age spoils them. The most direct way to prevent this waste is to provide a ‘Supply Department’ in, say, the department of the Treasury, and to obtain from there all the necessities of the Government. And here, I think, economic policy may be practised. The Supply Department would buy all the goods and distribute them among the other departments. We could thus estimate the amount of goods consumed by each department, and make a record of them for reference. By this means it would be easily discovered why one department called for more goods than another, and the reason. On looking into the treasurer’s accounts of the army we found the affairs better conducted. Overseers of the treasury are appointed here, and independent accounts from each office are no longer given. But other departments are not like this, and economy is not at all considered.

In some European countries there is provided a Supply Department to provide its own Governmental goods. The head of the department has constantly in his mind the number of the officials and employés, and the amount of their use of