New-York tribune., 1905-06-17
PLANS SWEEPING REFORM.
THE PRESIDENTS ORDER.
Government 1fmrs To Be Con-
ducted on Business Lines.

yyashinpton June 16-President Roosevelt
to-day took the first step in what PROMISES ~
| effect far reaching reform in conduc'ins 'ne
| business of the government by appointing q
committee of five to report to him on lmproVeu
methods of work in all the departments ana ou-
reaus.
The scope and character of the WORK ne ca
poets of the committee are indicated in the 1oi-
lowing letter, addressed to Charles ID. Keep AS
sistant Secretary of the Treasury
You are hereby designated as chairman OF "a a
committee, to consist, in addition TO yoursen'
of the following four gentlemen: FRANK n.
Hitchcock. First Assistant Postmaster Gehefdi
Lawrence o. Murray, Assistant secretary -, u
Commerce and Labor; James r. Garheld com
missioner of Corpora tions and Clifford Pinchot
Forester, Department of Agriculture: VINO are
to investigate and find out what changes are
needed to place the conduct OF the executive
business of the government In all It's pranches
on the most economical and effective oasis III
the light of the best modern business practices.
In making this investigation, 1 would IKE you
to have in view securing an Improvement IN
business methods, particularly among the fol-
lowing:
In the preparation of decisions for Ministerial
approval expert knowledge of actual conditions
anecting or affected by such decisions shouie
govern distinguished from a knowledge Oh
the record alone.
Salaries should be commensurate with the
character and market value of the service per-
formed, and uniform for similar service IN all
departments.
Government supplies. except such as are re-
quired to meet emergencies or for immediate use
in the field, should be standardized, and pur-
chased through central purchasing office
1t is the duty of the accounting and auditing
officers to facilitate executive work. F1scal re-
strictions regulations should not Interfere
with executive discretion should be uniform,
and should be as few and simple as is consistent
with accuracy and safety. Systems of book
keeping and accounting should conform to the
most approved modern business methods.
The existence Of any method standard custom
practice is no reason for its continuance when
better is offered.
The comparative cost of all work for which
cost keeping is possible should be ascertained
as between offices and departments, and as be-
tween the government and private enterprise,
and should be followed by the adoption OF stan
dards of maximum cost
There should be systematic interdepartmental
cooperation in the of expert technical
knowledge. The business methods of the differ
ent departments should be substantially uni
form.
In the adoption of methods and the perform
ance of work, every step which is not clearly
indispensable should be eliminated.
AS between the adoption of a uniform STAN
daTd and the actual efficiency of any office, the
former must yield.
No recommendation for change should be
ecutive officers affected.
There should be published an official gazette
to contain all executive orders, statements OF
changes in organization personnel, reports Of
important work begun, in progress or cornplet-
ed by any department, advertisements of all
government contracts, all legal notices not re-
quired to be published locally, notices of coming
Civil Service examinations, etc.
resolute effort should be made to secure
brevity in correspondence and the elimination Of
useless letter writing. There is a type of bu-
reauerat who believes that his entire work, and
the entire work of the government should
be the collecting of papers in reference to
case commenting with eager mnuteness on
each and corresponding with other officials in
reference thereto These people really care
nothing for the case, but only for the documents
In the case. In all branches of the government
there is a tendency greatly to increase unneces-
arv and q alIyr 1erfII nCfn
the army and navy the increase of paper work
is a serious menace to the efficiency of fighting
officers, who are often required by bureaucrats
to spend time in making reports which they
Should spend in Increasing the efficiency Of the
battleships regiments under them. AS
CARDS this matter you will please confer with
the assistant secretaries of the War and Navy
Departments 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 property.
It is officially pointed out that the commit
tees work is not to discover irregularities to
criticise the business of any office individual,
but to examine business methods outlined
In connection with the prospective work of
the committee, Secretary Shaw to-day
nounced two radical changes in methods of
making disbursements. Disbursng officers are
required 10 make reQulSlllOflS 1Of the amOunt
of money needed to cover seni-monthly pay
ments. In practice they nearly always ask
amount somewhat in excess but the Secretary
has directed the Treasurer hereafter to require
the payrolls TO be presented, and to refuse pay
ment whenever the check calls for amount
In excess of the payroll
He has also ordered all salary payments in
the Treasury Department and the Department
of Commerce and Labor. except in few stated
cases. to be made by disbursing officers checks
instead of cash.
These two changes, involving other depart
ments, are understood to be tentative, and are
made at this time to enable the committee to
observe the experiments. Considerable oppos-
ton is anticipated especially as it is likely to
delay the seni-monthly payments for day or
two
SPAIN Also WAITS FOR FRkNCE