The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-09
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMY.
Government Bureau Consolidation to
Prevent Duplication of Work.

Washington Letter in New York Post.
To prevent the duplication of work by
various bureaus in Washington has be-
come serious study in connection with
the creation of a new department of COM
merce. While it was originally planned
TO consolidate only those bureaus which
might probably be put into this new de-
partment, advantage has been taken of
the occasion TO plan a Redistribution of
all the scientific bureaus, as already re-
lated in these dispatches. 1t has been pro-
posed TO appoint a commission TO study
Redistribution during the remainder of the
fiscal year, and for Congress to give the
President authority to act when he shall
become sure what he wants to do. The
task is a most difficult and delicate one.
There are to-day three forestry bureaus
In the Land Office of the Interior Depart
ment there is a bureau having charge of
the forest reserves, which were set off from
the public domain about ten years ago
In the Geological Survey there is a bureau
of timber classification work, and In the
Agricultural Department an important bu-
reau of general forestry. The work of
these three necessarily overlaps very much,
and is accordingly a source of wasteful
loss. Irrigation work similarly overlaps.
The Weather Bureau has a system of wa
ter measurements for the purpose OF study
ing floods and making predictions concern
ing them. The Geological Survey, in its
photographic division, does this work on a
very large scale, while the Agricultural
Department, In Its DIVISION or irrigation IN
quiry, again studies the water question.
The Coast and GeOdetic Survey and the
Geological Survey necessarily overlap In
many of their important measurements.
1t is obvious that the situation is very
complex Wherever there is a duplication
each department is studying the question
for particular purpose; were one bureau
TO make the study alone, ii would have TO
keep in mind the various aspects of inquiry
which the different departments desired;
and since a bureau could be in only one
department, it might often be doing work
wholly for another. But the greater
trouble is in the personal element. Each
bureau chief, in case there is to be con-
solidation, desires to head the and
larger establishment, or else he is opposed
to any change. There is considerable va
riety in the estimates of various undertake
ings arising from personal considerations,
and, of course, all these difficulties
reflect themselves in Congress. 1t will be
necessary to give the President his dis
cretionary authority before a commission
has undertaken its work, rather than after
il has reported, for no report that it might
make could fail to provoke much antago-
prevent the unnecessary duplication of
property, such fish commission boats
and geodetic survey boats, and the stock
and vehicles of the various bureaus doing
similar work.
The consolidation of statistical machin-
cry. which is probably the most important
of all, has been already alluded to in these
dispatches. The prospect which "A new
department of commerce affords of pre-
venting the waste under this head is really
the greatest argument in its behalf.