Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-31
RED TAPE IS BEING CUT
Head Of Keep Commission Talks Of Work
Done BY Board,
WANTS UNIFORM system IN DEPARTMENTS
Chairman of board Says IL Is I'm
possible 60 Use Methods of Pri-
vate Corporations in
Accounting.


WASHINGTON, oct. 3O-The criticism of
former Chief Engineer Wallace of the 18TH
milan canal, that he was handicapped by
official red tape. which prevented the
speedy delivery of supplies, has caused
| considerable discussion in the executive
departments where the work is now being
looked into by the Keep commission.
Wherever the government Is handicapped
by useless and ancient customs we shall
modernize 1t by better business methods
said Chairman Keep today. I'VE do not find
so much duplication of work as we do
multiplication of work. 1t is impossible to
operate the business of the government
after the fashion of private corporations,
but there is room for better methods In
many cases ana the effort will be made
to bring this about"
The Keep commission will make many
suggestions in its report to the president,
which the members think may result in
abOlishing practices that hinder instead OF
help. The changes that may be determined
upon, 1t was said today, could be effected
through an executive order or by direction
Of the heads OF the departments without
recourse TO congress. The one great thing
the commission is after is a uniform method
by which all similar work will be con-
Quoted along the same lines
Interior Department Methods.
Acting on a recent letter of the secretary
of the interior, stating that he was con-
WINGED that defects existed in the organiza-
ton and business methods Of a number OF
the bureaus connected with his department
and suggesting that the matter be referred
to the Keep commission for investigation
! the president has requested the committee
to enter upon the investigation at its
earliest convenience and that special at
tention be given to the methods of business
employed in the general, local and land
offices, the offices OF surveyors general, the
reclamation service and the Indian office
/ The inquiry will deal with the organization
/ personnel and business methods employed
| in the several bureaus of the department.
but more especially in the general ana
local land offices. One of the questions
which will receive the attention of the conf
mission is whether the services of receivers
at local offices may not be dispensed with
without detriment to good administration.
Saves Million on Printing.
Mr. Ricketts,, the acting public printer
has submitted his estimates to the Treas
! ury department for transmission 20 con-
! gress showing the amounts required for
! the conduct of the government printing
office for the next fiscal year. The total
amount carried in the estimates, including
! an item of $4,000 for leaves of absence, Is
! IS, $50, 234.62. The amount expended for the
| fiscal year, which ended last June, was
&c. 7eO 256. IS, or an excess of 1907. 022.04 over
the amount which the acting public printer
| estimates as necessary for the coming fiscal
year Mr.. Ricketts, tonight stated that his
estimates were compiled without reference
to any action which might be taken by con-
&c FfVaoF
to further reductions in the printing bill.
He said that If congress would remedy the
defects in the printing laws, which he re-
CARDS in large part responsible for many OF
the wastes in printing, the saving to the
! government would be much larger than
that indicated by the reduction shown in his
! estimates.
81 am certain" said he. that the oppor-
tunlties for retrenchment In the conduct
OF the government printing Office are easy
! of detection on every hand and that many
| hundreds of thousands of dollars are an
nually expended for which the government
receives no fair return. The greatest re-
auctions in new estimates are shown in the
items for material and supplies, paper and
llthographing and engraving"
investigating Blanket Contract.
| A board of officers consisting of Majors
! Jacob G. Galbraith, inspector general Ed
win st. ]. Greble, artillery corps, and John
e. Baxter. quartermaster, has been or
dered to meet at the earliest date practic-
able at Schuylkill arsenal, Philadelphia, to
examine and report upon blankets delivered
at that arsenal under the contract of Henry
T. Kent The board is authorized to employ
a stenographer and an expert in textiles If
necessary. The quality of several thousand
blankets is involved in the above order.
Officers of the quartermaster's department
have accepted some of the Kent blankets
and rejected others.
This board will pass again on the blankets
which have been accepted. Several tech
meal questions are involved, such as the
matter of stenciling of the letters ~. s."
in the blankets and afterwards steaming