The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-24
WHAT The PRESIDENT WANTS
SPEECH TO THE INVESTIGATORS
or THE DEPARTMENTS.

He Tells Members OF the Keep Commission
and Others That He Doesn't Want
Merely TO Know Things Are had, but
What IL 10 ne Done TO Better Them.
WASHINGTON, March 23.-At a conference
with members OF the Keep commission
q the committees engaged in the invest-
CATION Of business methods in the executive
departments at the residence Of Clifford
Pinchot last Tuesday evening President
Roosevelt made a long speech, a steno-
graphic report OF which was given out
to-day. Tho President repeated what he
said ut the time of the appointment of the
commission about bureaucratic methods
In the departmental. Speaking Of remedies,
he said:
"As you are aware. the Keep commission
sent out questions to those responsible for
the actual work In all branohe Of the Gov
eminent service. Answers were received,
or are now being received, to those questions,
and they furnish q useful aid to the study
by the comm lssion OF Governmental condl-
tions. But inevitably In the great majority
OF cases these answers are inadequate to
form O basis for eflnl recommendations.
and Of course that Is what ! want from this
commission. l do not want a diagnosis
OF the case: / want a recommendation how
to reach the case. / do not want merely
to know that things are bad; / want to know
what 10 bad and what - to be done to make
1t better. SO that II legislation Is necessary
I can recommend IL; 50 that II, as / hope Will
be.true In the enormous majority OF cases,
the matter can be reached by executive
regulation, / can see that that regulation is
issued.
L want to say right here. gentlemen. that 1
shall value the reports that l receive
largeiy-not exclusively at all. but largely
In proportion as they do not call for legis-
latlon. There 10 nothing easier. as all Of you
know, than to draw up an elaborate minute
to show how well things would 60 on II some
one else did something different. want you,
so far as is possible. to recommend something
that I can do, something that the heads OF the
departments can do, so that we can ourselves
put a stop to much at least Of the evil that
exists, remedy much at least Of the short
comings that exist.
Referring to what Is popularity called
red tape the President said:
remember very we'll the pride with which
q certain high officer In one Of the bureaus
In the Navy Department q good many years
ago told me. pointing to a big case OF papers.
that In that he could ind out through the
reports Of the officers Of each battleship
now uldly DOllicb VI NlOAcb III Gavin NoptoA
of q battleship was responsible for. l re-
marked that ! did not care a snap Of my fingers
about the number OF bottles Of violet Ink on
the ship, that what l wanted to know was
whether the men at the guns could shoot.
I did not accept the knowledge Of the where
abouts Of the violet Ink as a substitute for
shooting. The paper work must be subor-
dinated In the departments and bureaus to
the efficiency of the work itself, keeping
only enough OF 1t to mako q record OF what
Is done.
Continuing, the President, said:
OF course, gentlemen. when you come to
make your recommendations you will have
to deal with broad principles for the conduct
of the Government business. but those broad
principles must be supported by definite plans
ready to be given immediate effect. believe
In broad prin olples. but l do not want them
30 broad that they will not apply to any given
case. l want a general scheme. but also O
way to make that general scheme effective
In each department, each bureau, each section
and subdivision touched by your committee.
l don't want you In any case to recommend
q chan &c simply for the sake Of making a
change nothing could be more foolish. But
never hesitate for a moment In basing your
recommendations upon the conditions actually
found and the best way to meet them. no
matter how radical may be the departure
from established methods required.