The Washington times., 1905-06-16
FULL INQUIRY INTO
ALL DEPART ThENTS
Presidents Commission to
Make General Search.
YOUNG OFFICIALS NAMED
Results of Inquiry to Be Kept Secret
Unless Something Sensational
Is Uncovered

Government officials and clerks are
discussing at every turn what will be
the probable outcome of the inquiry
which has been undertaken at the d.
rectfon of President Roosevelt by a
C commission of Five" to ascertain how
the Government departments are run
and whether any Improvement In meth
ocs can be adopted with benefit to the
service
Assistant Secretary Charles H. Keep,
Of the Treasury Department. is the
chairman of. the commission and the
other members are Commissioner James
=. Garfield. of the Department of Com
n,e,ce and Labor; Clifford Pinchot, of
| the Department Of Agriculture; Law
renee o. Murray, Assistant Secretary
OF Commerce and Labor. and Frank H
Hitchcock. Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral
i Will Issue a Statement.
Chairman Keep purposes issuing an
official statement late this afternoon TO
remove any mistaken impression which
| may have been caused by the premature
publication Of what was represented as
an outline of the commission plans
First of all, Mr.. Keep discl,iiu.s any in
sention on the part of the commission
to undertake a Secret Service investi-
CATION to uncover possible wrongdo-
ing in any Of the Government depart
| meEts. The inquiry is to be essentially
for the purpose of seeing whether the
Government employs as good business
methods as private corporations do and
if not, why not. If one department has
| a higher efficiency than another in some
| line. that method will be recommended
| for adoption in all.
| Should any official scandal be un-
| earthed in the progress of this work 1,
Will, of course, receive further prompt
attention. But IL is understood that the
President feels there should be greater
uniformity in the transaction of the
| public business, and to bring this about
is to be the commissions chief care.
Clerks Have Their Doubts.
| Notwithstanding this direct statement
OF Chairman Keep many clerks believe
the original plan Of the commission viii
| gradually develop until it will be II
| effect an investigating body in the full
| est sense of the word. 1t will be a hare
| matter 10 separate the two ideas ant
| the first naturally leads to the second
! The commission would not like TO hay.
| any official think that he was under
| suspicion of any sort, since IN mos
| cases this would be entirely unfounded
| But should one bad spot be found i
! is realized that every bureau entered
| by the commission after that would fee
l. was also under suspicion. Hence tht
| commission wants its prospective Worl
! to be known only as an inquiry to es
| ta hlish uniform up-to-date bushes.
methods In all the Government depart
| ments.
| 1t is recognized by the members O
| tne commission that each Cabinet of
| fetal naturally believes In his subordi
mates and puts confidence in their work
(, To have them doubted by other official
outside his department strikes him a
| rejecting upon his own judgment of me-
and methods of doing business. To b
subject 10 the searching probe of
| group of five young men of lesser officia
position is also a bitter pill to TAX
| while preserving a pleasant countenance
Hits All Alike.
! So the departments are stirred from
| top to bottom, for one reason or an
| other. A clerk Of low degree may fea
the discovery of sharp practices In whicl
/, mind Is small as compared with that 0
his chief. The Cabinet officer canno
| help feeling that general anxiety which
is bred Of an appreciation of the pos
sibilities OF wrongdoinS in a department
| Continued on Fourth Page)