Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-17
Departmental Business Methods.

The lapse of fortnight between the
organization and the public announcement
of the committee named by The President to
investigate the business conditions in the
government departments has been RESPONSE
bic for the belief that there was a tonnec-
ton between this move and the disclosure
of the latest public Office defalcation. The
full statement of the case, however, shows
that the Presidents action preceded the
revelation of the Smithsonian financial
discrepancy by nearly a week.
This committee is under Instructions to
shape a system of business methods for
the government offices which will save
time and labor and expense. The Presi-
dents instructions are clear and suggestive.
He is DESTROYS of reducing the useless pa
per work., of instilling new IDEAS Into the
conserva tive officials of the bureaus. of
saving costs in the purchase OF supplies and
of binding the bureaus and departments
into a harmonious and businesslike whole
in conformity with the best methods of the
commercial world
Those who have studied the departmental
situation have long ago been convinced
that in many respects the government ad-
ninistrative organization is loose and in
effective The frequent lapses of fiscal
agents. shows, as The Star recently pointed
out that there is little or no protting in one
bureau from the lessons taught by another,
each department continuing its own meth
DDS until disaster occurs close at home.
In point of documentary details the pub
lie service is far in the rear Of The process
sion of modern enterprise. A few years ago
one of the bureaus of the War Department.
apparently hopelessly In arrears with It's
work, was suddenly placed upon card
index basis. There was a great outcry
against the abandonment Of old methods.
1t was unsafe, cried critics. 1t was I'M
heard of, perversive of all presidents. The
responsible official persisted and soon justi-
fed his departure by bringing the work up
to date in remarkably short order He was
merely following principle that had been
established in the business world with sat
isfactory results.
The President points to the paper work.
of the army and navy as a field for desir-
able reform. Complaint has been made by
service officers that their clerical labors
have so greatly increased in recent years
that 1t is impossible for the company
officers TO keep up to date save through the
help of enlisted men. The volume of docu-
ments passing between the War Depart
ment and the various posts is tremendous.
One consequence of this tendency to null
tiply the letter-writing and the indorse-
ments is to accumulate a vast store of
largely useless materials, the housing of
which is today a serious problem If the
commercial system were adopted this could
be cut down by at least 30 per cent, with
entire safety.
Although not specifically mentioned in
the letter of instructions, it is to be hoped
that the investigating committee will con-
slider the question Of the government re-
ports of all grades of Importance. There
is an inviting field for reform in this direc-
ton. Duplication is common and excessive
use Of paper and ink is unquestionably to
be charged against many of the bureau
officials The government needs a COM
petent editor, with a corps of assistants.
whose business it shall be to blue-pencil the
reports that go into print and to make the
public service output of documents more
valuable by reducing the bulk.