The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-11-13
WASHING
TON LETTER
tFrom Our Regular Correspondent.

(From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington. D. c., Nov. ~, 1905.
The heads of government depart
ments and the various investigating
Commissions are revealing causes of
vast extravaganza in the conduct OF
government work and economy and re-
form are In the air but not until the
same methods of bookkeeping that are
employed by any ordinary, safe, and
cautious corporation are adopted in the
departments will there be any real
hope of carrying on the business in an
economical and thrifty way. There
are in all the departments instances
of graft but these when dis
covered are easily eliminated and 1t is
the stupendous amount OF red tape in
the departments impeding The work
and causing waste and extravaganza
which are the hardest to be rid OF and
the costllest to the government.
The bookkeeping department of the
government is probably the costliest
feature Of its conduct and large
standing army could be supported on
tie amount that It costs to maintain
1t. There are buildings rented at ex.
pensive rates in Washington which
contain nothing but reports and files
millions of them and thegreater number
of which have not been touched since
the day they were first filed except oc-
more commodious place. The twenty
FIVE thousand government clerks must
have a report of their efficiency made
twice annually. These fifty thousand
reports are filed away and probably II
promoted or reduced or transferred he
must take new oath of office telling
all he knows about his parents, wheth-
er he is white or black, where lie lives.
where he votes, when he was born and
how old he is (This latter with the
hope OF catching him and especially
her in lie). Whether he is married
single or divorced, how much he
weighs, what chronic diseases he has
and many other questions in which the
government shows its interest by filing
away the answers in cases that are
never opened. The office of the APP
pointment clerk in every department
Is filled and running over with these
files. To keep them in order special
clerk Is necessary since obviously o
janitor or scrub woman cannot be in
trusted with the secrets which the gov.
eminent has wrung from its clerks
and by which it must decide promo
lions. etc. A call for report by a
chief is the signal for any number of
well paid clerks to roll up their sleeves
and burrow into the mass for the lit
tie grain that may be among all the
chaf. Every time clerk is transfer
red there have to be in addition to the
filing of his record reports five copies
of them made, one for the appoint
ment clerk. one for the Treasury De-
partment, one for each Bureau chief
concerned and one for the man who is
being transferred. It is obvious that
these copies cannot be made except by
clerks, that they cannot be exchanged
except by messengers and that In case
they should ever be wanted they must
be searched for in well-paid govern.
ment time. There Is a story Of Blu.
reau Chief who wanted clock for HE
office. He made the requisition in the
proper form, using government blank
and debating his wish to government
stenographer. By slip Of the type
writer the word cloak was substituted
for clock and the paper sent by mes
senger to the chief clerk OF the depart
ment. He Endorsed the paper and af-
ter passing through several baskets /.
reached the secretary,s Office and was
indorsed once more. From there 1t wen.
tc the Treasury Department and finally
to the disbursing officer who was pre-.
pared to I'LL the bill except that the
word cloak held him up for the Office
does not furnish funds Tor buying wear
ing apparel. For the first time In It's
wanderings the regulation halted.