Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-01
SERIES OF QUESTIONS
Sent to the Different De-
partments.
THE METHODS OF WORK
ASKED FOR FROM HEADS OF
BUREAUS, ETC.
Classified Under Organization, Per-
sonnet, pondence-Purchas-
ing of Supplies and Accounts.

| partment methods. appointed by the Presi-
dent June .. 1905. has forwarded to the
heads of departments in Washington a
series of 107 questions relating to the work
! of the departments. 1t is expected zthat
| there will be several carloads of answers
| TO these questions by the time the members
| of the committee get back from their re-
! spective vacations and settle down TO a
| prolonged inquiry into whether the affairs
| of the government are being run along the
most successful and efficient lines
Accompanying the six pages of printed
! questions was the following letter to each
| of the nine heads of departments in WASH
ington:
'Will you kindly cause the questions
herewith inclosed to be answered by the
chiefs of bureaus, offices and divisions of
your department. and such answers to be
forwarded to Charles H. Keep. chairman
OF the committee on department methods.
| Treasury Department. Washington?
! While these questions to be answer
| ed by the heads of bureaus. 1 would sug-
| gest that general charge of the matter be
| given to some one person in your depart
| ment with whom the committee or its
| representatives may confer. 1t is highly
| essential that the purport ard purpose of
| each question should be well understood by
| the person answering it. Some Of the ques-
| tons are necessarily open to more than one
| Interpretation. If a representative of the
| committee could confer with the official in
| charge of the matter for your department
| all MISUNDERSTANDING could be avoided and
| the questions answered on a uniform inter-
| probation by all bureaus. OF course, not all
| the questions are applicable to each bureau
| and some are not applicable to all the de-
| partmentS. conference with the commit
( tees representative would clear up these
! points also and result in a great saving of
| labor.
| 1.-The committee would be glad to have the
| replies in hand soon after September 1
| possible"
Divided Into Heads.
| The 10T questions are divided into five
heads-twenty-two relating to the organi-
cation of each department; seventeen to its
| personnel; twenty-five to correspondence
and files; twenty-six to the methods of
| purchasing supplies. and twenty to &C
counts and miscellaneous.
1t is the opinion of the committee that
| much valuable information ought to be
! secured as a result Of these questions
especially as uniformity of Interpretation
| of the questions is urged and asked
In the twenty-five questions as to organi-
zation each head of department is asked to
describe the organization Of his depart
ment. especially to show the lines of re-
sponsibilty. from bureaus or divisions down
to the official of lowest grade having super
vfsing power This takes in the RESPONSIBLE
ity of the Secretary, assistants, etc In
qulrles then continue as to the methods of
cooperation between bureaus whether
| there Is a systematized method of related
bureaus keeping posted of each others
| work
The most important questions however
| deal with the methods of inspection of
| work. thereby bringing out the posi-
bllity of detection OF wrongdoing. Some
of the questions along this line are as
| follows:
Please describe all inspection by the
| secretary. or by his office, of the work
of the department or of any bureau. office
division, etc, giving the number of in
| spectOrS, the Office to which assigned the
| number of employees they inspect the fire.
| quency of Inspection the cost of inspec-
| ton and its relation to the cost of each
service inspected. Give in detail the meth
| DDS of inspection of quarters and prop
| erty. The same for each bureau which
| has inspectors of its own
| What is the method of responsibility
| for public property for the department,
| and for each bureau, giving exact routine
| in every case?
| as there any officer or committee through
whom the methods of editing and publ "a
| ton are supervised for the whole depart
ment? If so, is cooperation between Du-
reaus, offices, etc. thus secured?
| What procedure and policy followed
in making up departmental estimates for
appropriations? Is any committee concern
ed with this work?
Upon what subjects may appeals be
made to the Secretary, what is the pro-
cedure in such appeals, and are they de-
cided personally by the Secretary?
Are any persons in your department en-
gagged in preparing decisions for ministerial
approval who without expert and prac-
teal knowledge of actual conditions affect
ing or affected by such decisions dis
tinguished from knowledge of the record
alone?
| AS to the Personnel.
The trend of the questions to the per-
;.,i y1,n lirn,