The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-11-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Just before Mr.. Roosevelt started on his
Southern trip, he suspended Democles
sword or axe over the heads of half the
Government employees in Washington
and since he did not discriminate which
half was threatened by the axe, the
entire clerical force OF Washington is con-
siderably perturbed, many imagining and
doubtless knowing that they deserve it.
The axe is in the hands of every head of
the departments in the form of an order
to the effect that hereafter any cabinet
officer may dismiss peremptorily and
without recourse, any employee whose
unfitness shall come to his personal
knowledge. This order of awful portent
to hundreds of Government clerks
cannot but have salutary effect on
much demoralized service. The order is
cruel but only to the idlers and worthless
expert shirks to be found in every nook
and corner of the numerous public offices
in Washington. The President is cruel
only that he may be kind. He is making
an effort to purge the public service of a
rottenness that those who have an inti-
mate knowledge of it know to have per-
sisted for many years.
~
Rarely in our history has man been
in position to do so much good and
gifted with discernment and strength to
do it. Whether he can complete his great
work in three years and four months re-
mains to be seen. Much, almost every
thing, will depend upon the National
Congress. Will it help or hinder? The
people of the country, without regard to
divisions, political or geographical, be-
'lieve in the measures urged by the Pres
ident. Senator Foraker, around whom
the opposition to railroad rate legislation
appears to cluster, claims not to oppose
the President, but merely to have better
method of his own. This method is
the method of the railroads and of their
attorneys, like Senator Foraker on the
floor OF the Senate. So the issue is THE
People of the United States, Plaintiff, VS..
The Railroad Corporations, Defendant;
Roosevelt for Plaintiff; Foraker, Elkins,
ct al. for Defendant"
*x*
The revenues of the Government under
the stimulation of good times are increas-
ing and it is possible that with certain
little economies projected-a million here
and a million there-our national house
keeping may go on and without the neces-
sity of an additional tax on beer or coffee.
The Government seems to have awak-
ened to what hundreds in and out of
Washington have long known. the un-
speakable extravaganza and gross waste
fulness of the Government Printing Of
fee. This office is the biggest printery in
the world and employees three thousand
people, some of whom work. Its pay roll
is enormous, so is its finished output.
But its output is fit for nothing but to be
put-out. 1t is in fact bran-new old junk,
: fresh from the press. This is not exag-
geration it is literal truth with regard to
at least fve-sixths of the dismal rubbish
printed by the government printing office.
IF the government would let its printing
contract to first class job Office and have
only necessary work done it would save
at least three millions of dollars per year.
But the government does not do things
that way, Congress is not spending its
own.money aud the Government Printing
office will go on. 1t is said. however,
that the expense of this establishment
will be cut down one million of dollars.
At least two million ought to be lop-
ped off.
~
It looks now as though each Govern
ment Department were trying to beat its
own and every other Departments record
for economy and the public looks on
complacently while the Bureau Chiefs
evolve methods for saving public money
The Government Printing Office which
has been one of the most extravagant and
wasteful of all the bureaus is the subject
of Investigations at present and it is pre-
dicted that if the reforms suggested are
adopted the Government will he saved
several million dollars annually. AS an
instance of the extravaganza in that de-
partment it is stated by the acting Public
Printer that 500, 900 duplicate documents
of publication authorized by Congress
we're thrown back on the Government.
He stated that the binding alone of some
of the reserve documents held for the use
of Congress but seldom if ever called for
cost 500, 900, and that the printing of
them cost $Ioo. 900. The 500. 900 docu-
ments returned to the Government in the
last eight years by libraries represent
only small number of those distributed
and take mo account of those sent to
Members of Congress and their friends,