Uncle Sam manages a mighty big financial operation and needs to look to his collection of loans and other debts just as successful business operators must do. This is the idea behind a drive in the U. S. Senate for toughened collection policies which Sen. James Sasser, D-Tenn. says could make a $16 billion difference in the national deficit within a year. Of about $175 billion currently owed the federal government, $47 billion is due now – and $25 billion of that is in arrears. The effort to revitalize collections has sputtered for a couple of years but now shows signs of getting off the ground. The immediate focus is a bill cosponsored by Sasser and Sen. Charles H. Percy, RIll., which would turn over names of loan defaulters to the commercial credit establishment. ‘ Sasser also would like to see two other moves in the government loan recovery program: Bringing the Internal Revenue Service into the picture so that overdue loans would be made up out of tax refunds; and deducting from salaries of federal employees to make up applicable delinquenicies. Collection efforts would be directed to such ‘ categories as agriculture, foreign aid, small business, housing and urban development projects, and education, with student loa ” is important that loan programs be operated on a business-like basis – not only because the government needs the money but for fairness to the taxpayers and moral reasons as well. Lax collections on loans public and rivate when people are given reason t think they can get awa with cheating on the’ obligations. The new Reagan Administration will e tackling a number of challenging economy goals. A revitalized debt collection program, already in the works, should not be overlooked as a high priority item.