The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-06-21
ROOSEVELT AND REFORM.

LUG 0CGAO0 VI ACSAOCuV 1GOOSOSCI
in appointing a committee to report to
him on improved methods of conduct.
ing the public business, Is causing
constern alton among those who have
assumed that ''public Office is a pri.
vate snap" The president, from per-
sonal observation, has concluded tina.
reform in the method of conducting
public affairs is s%ary-that pub.
lie business requires compliance with
business principles-and will %endeavor
to apply modern methods in carrying
on the work of the various depart.
ments.
That is the Roosevelt way of doing
things. When Mr.. Roosevelt was 20.
lice commissioner Of New York he
followed his own ideas as to how the
atf airs of his department should be
conducted, and where the old way APP
peared to be out Of date or undesira.
BILE he introduced new rules and regu-
lations that secured better results.
1t is a frequent subject of remark
that nc priva ate institution could long
survive the extravaganza and waste
fulness with which much of the public
business is transacted, and so far as
the federal government is concerned,
the president proposes to get better
service for the money expended. In
his instructions to the committee he re.
quests them to find out ''what changes
are needed to place the conduct of the
executive business Of the government
in all its branches on the most conOm.
ical and effective basis, in the light of
the best modern business practice"
The committee is also advised upon
many other matters which, in the opin-
ion Of the president, require the ap.
plication of common.sense business
methods, his recommendations being
to this effect:
"Salaries should be commensurate
with the character aud the market val
ue of the service performed, and uni.
form for similar service in all depart
ments.
"The existence Of any method, stand.
ard, custom or practice is no reason
for its existence when a better is Of
fered.
"There should be systematic depart
mental operation with expert and tech.
nical knowledge. The different de.
partments should be substantially
uniformed-the adoption Of methods
and the performance of work, every
step which Is not clearly indispensable
should be eliminated.
"a resolute effort should be made
to secure brevity in correspondence
and the elimination of useless letter.
writing. There is q type of bureau.
crat who believes the entire work of
the government should be the collect
ing OF papers in reference to a case,
commenting with eager minuteness on
each, aud corresponding with other
officials in reference thereto. These
people really are nothing for the case,
but only the documents in the case.
In all branches of the government
there is a tendency greatly to increase
unnecessary and largely p%erfunctory
letter.writing.
"In the army and navy the increase
Of paper work is a serious menace to
the efficiency of lighting officers, who
are often required by bureaucrats to
spend time in making reports which
they should spend in increasing the
efficiency Of the battleships or regi.
ments under them. AS regards this
matter, you will please confer with
the assistant secretaries of the war
department and navy department and
request them to submit to me a scheme
for doing away with the evils referred
to. In the civil departments the abuse
of letter.writing amounts not merely
to the waste Of time OF the government
servant responsible for it, but also to
the impeding of public business.
"Please consider also the matter of
enforcing accountability for proper
ty."
1t is officially pointed out that the
committees work is not to discover
irregularities of business of any Of
ticer, but to examine the business
methods as outlined.