The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-17
HE'S AFTER THE BUREAUCRATS
LETTER TO DE-
; PARTMENT INVESTIGATORS.
10 Wants to Cut the Rcd Tape and Abolish
Il, the Incurable Letter. writer From
is the Government Scr>ice-Srcrctnr3
Shaw " Out with a statement. TOO.

GARY investigation OF the executive depart
rnsnts Of the Government, announced IN
The SUN this morning, was initiated ny
President r. ,osevelt himself. and the Presl-
dent decided to-day to take the puplic
into his cont dence regarding the details
OF the scheme Accordingly the following
letter. addressed to Assistant Secretary
Keep Of the Tre isury, was given out at the
White House lsu, this afternoon:
MY DEAR SIR: You are hereby designated
a. chairman OF committee. to consist, IN
addition to yourssl Of the following iour
gentlemen. the Hon. Frank II. hitchcoch'
First Assistant fuat uaster General the non
Lawrence O. NIurrty. Assistant secretary OF
Commerce and Labo'; the Hon James Il
Garfield. Commissioner of Corporations, ana
Clifford PiuChot. forester, DepaftiHeh '"
Agriculture, who are 20 investigate ana 'uu
out what changes are needed l" place Wv
conduct OF the executive business Oh 'ne
Government in all its branches on tho most
economical and effective basis IN the llght OF
the best modern business practise. In max
inr this investigation would like You 10
have in view securing an Improvement, ih
b1siness methods particularly among the lot
lowing
l. In the preparation OF decisions Tor MINIS,
tertal approval expert knowledge OF a't''a'
conditions affecting or affected by sn'h con-
diuons should govern. as distinguished from
knowledge OF the record alone ..
D. Salaries should be commensurate WIN
The character aud market value OF ths service
performed. and uniform for similar service
10 all departments.
:. Government supplies. except such as
AFRO required TO meet emergenciHs or LOT
Immediate Use in the field, should be stan
dardized and purchased through central
purchasing office.
4 II is the duty OF the accounting ana
auditing officers to facilitate executive work
Fiscal restrictions or regulations should not
interfer. ,>l,h execIti-n discretion shonid Do
uniform and should be as few and simple
a. is consistent with accuracy and safety.
systems OF bookkeeping and accounting
should conform to the most approved modern
business methods.
S The existence of any method, standard
custom or practise is no reason for Us con-
tnuance when better Is offered
6 The comparative cost OF all WORK Tor
which cost keeping is possible. should os
sscertained as between Offices and depart
nants and as between the Government and
private enterprise. and should Ia followed
by the adoption OF standards OF maximum
cost
I. There should be svstematc lnterdepart-
mental cooperation Of thedhercnt depart
Inents which should be substantially UNIFORM.
In the adoption OF methods and tn" perform
snce of work, every step which is not clearly
lndspensau ole should be eliminated.
s. As between the adoption of uniform
standard and the actual efficiency OF ANY
once the former must yield.
O. 10 Recommendation for change should
be made until alter iul consultation with all
executive officers affected.
10 I here should be Published an ohcial
gazette TO contain all executive orders. state
nents OF chan yes in organization or persunuol
reports OF important work begun, III PROGRESS
or complcted by any department. advertise,
ments al all Govcrument contracts, an leSai
lao m .tt. al
notices OF coming cINii service eAa'.''a'1oHS'
a resolu,e eNort should be made TO secure
brevity in correspondence aud the elIm!iia :
ton OF useless letter writing here Is type
Of bureagcrat who believes that his entire
work and that the entire work Of the Govern
rent should be the collecting OF papers IN
reference to cass. commenting with ca ger
other offlcials ia reference thereto rhes.
people reall care nothing for the case but
ouy for the documents in the case. In all
branches OF the Government there is a ten
dency greatly to increase the unnecessary
and lar gely perfunctorv letter writing. In the
army and navy the Increase OF paper work Is
serious menace 10 tho efficiency Of fshtin Z
officers who are often required hy bureau
they should spend in iNrg'a1ng the efficiency
OF the battieshlps or regiments under them
As regards this matter Nou viii please con-
fer, with the assistant Secretaries OF the War
and Navy departments altd request them 70
sYGmt nrh IN ,R. ''H M }s
the abuse of letter wrltlnE amounts not merely
10 the waste of time Of the Government ser
want responsible for 1t but also to the i'm
ped!ns OF public business
Please consider also the matter of enforcing
account bility Tor property. Sincerely yours
lHEOpJHE RoO,EyELr.
The following explanation Of the pendin Q
INQUIRY into Cei artment affairs, with view
Of curing what the President has termed
the evils Of bureaucracy was given out 10y
Assistant Secretary Keep
-The President has appointed COM
witt n n n ar
method, Of doing the public business in
the various bureaus and Departments. The
members Of the committee are: Assistant
Secretary OF the Treasury Charles Keep,
who is designated as chairman; First Assist
ant postma5ter-General Hitchcock Assist
ant Secretary Murray of the Department
Of Commerce and Labor, James A, Garfield
chief OF the Bureau of Corporations, and
Clifford Plnchot chief Of the Bureau of
Forestry in the Department of Agriculture.
The work of this committee is not that
OF committee OF Investigation to dis
cover irregularities or to criticize the bust
ness of any Office or individual. Its task
i to examine the business methods Of the
Government and to recommend improved
and modern and uniform methods of trans
acting public business. The committee has
held several informal meetings to map
ont its work and has actually begun its
invest igat ion Of Offices. Preferrng to axe
a beglnning in his own department, the
chairman Of the committee selected :
the first subject to receive attention the
inspection. equipment and operation of
public buildings 'outside of Washington
In its work the comm Ittee expects to utilize
to the fullest extent the expert knowledge
of its own members, and also to obtain
suggestions Of great value from practical
men in various Government Offices who
will be able from their own experience TO
point out many improvements in govern
mental methods"
SEQ .etary Shaw i conducting an iuves-
tigation Of his own to determine upon the
lest method Of making disbursements.
IN the treasury Department and the De-
lartment of Commerce. He relieves that
the danger Of emit e22lement on the rart Of
The Federal dish,rsing officers can he re-
Cllced by the simple method of removing the
temptation To steal. Secretary Shaw ISSUED
this statement to-r'aN;
Secretary Shaw to-day announced two
quite radical changes in methods of making
disbursements As they involved other
Departments and We're sur" to meet will
serious objections from the clerical force
Of his own and the other departments in
volved, he has deferred making them unit
the President appointed the Commits
10 recommend changes in departmental
methods. headed shy Assistant Secrctar
Keep of the Treasury Department Tn
changes are as follows and are made on hi
own initiation