New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-12
rHE @ROUSE CLEANLNG."

Governor Hughes can do nothing without It's
being exploited in advance as tremendously SEN
sational. There were legal questions regarding
his Public Utilities bin that he u good lawyer
wanted to make clear TO the people. Wnen IL
was known tlsat he was going to make speech
REGARDING tte bill we were solemnly assured that
no was nrepared to "cut loose from his party"
TO tell the people who were for him and who
were against him and why'-the why was
especially signlfcant-that he was fighting
mad" and a thousand more thrilling ineputudes.
And when he made the speech II turned out TO
be as dlSpassonate as a judges decision and as
impersOnaI as an encyclopaedia article; just an
admirably clear, dignfed address, which settled
the question in the public mind as the Governor
intended it should.
So now the reading public is RECALLED with
sensational announcements regarding proposed
"house cleaning" Every Oficeholder in Albany,
one would suppose, was frightened to death by
the Moreland bill, giving the Governor authority
to inquire into the various state departments
after the Legislature adjOurns. Now, the Gov
ernOr has no sensational purpose but, on the
contrary merely wishes to carry out his cam
paign pledge to examine into the various state
departments Having the authority TO do so. he
has already made such an examination into the
Department of Buildings. 1t was conducted
without fuss or fury and. so far as we know,
told IN "sOme changes More businesslike
methods were introduced in the management OF
the department, for the Governor has demon
strated that he has an excellent business head
and fine capacity for organization. There was
no graft found, was it expected TO lind
any. Nobody was "hOuSe cleaned" out of Office
nor was there any notion of such result
Nothing sensational was done. nor anything
sensational intended. In some respects the Gov
ernor pointed ont how the conduct of the depart
ment could be made more efficient Similar IN
vestigations with similar unsensatlOnal results
will follow in the other departments if the More
land bill becomes law. as indeed il ought to;
for the Legislature should enable the Governor
to carry out his campaign pledge.
The Governors ideal of government is efficien
cy and If with his fine business and legal capacity
he can improve the systems in vogue in Albany
departments he should have the opportunity and
the authority TO do So 1t will be an exceptional
advantage the state To have a man of Mr.
Hughess capacity for organization examine into
the way the business of the state IS conducted
just as it has been to the nation to have man
Of somewhat similar legal attachments, Mr.. Root
examine into and improve the methods and sys-
TEN of the State Department at Washington
Public business and public departments of ad-
ministratOn lack the stimulus of competition
oughneSs, modernness and efficiency of their
methods and organization This is a truism
And when man fresh from private life. a man
who has demonstrated an unusual grasp OF busl-
ness organization, turns his mind TO the methods
prevailing in public departments-not usually
the methods devised by the heads Of the depart
ments, but the traditional methods of the bu-
reaus. whose mysteries only the permanent
clerks thoroughly cOmprehend-if he has the
patience 10 go into the musty details Of depart
mental work his suggestions for their mOdern-
cation come like veritable Inspirations. What
the business world learns perforce in the keen
school Of competition the bureaucratic world
must be taught by some patient organizer like
Mr.. Hughes or Mr. Root.
One defect Of our government, whether 1t is
federal, state or municipal, is IFS too infrequent
overhauling by a superior with genius for that
sort Of work. Some clerk who knows how things
have been done for the last half century keeps
alive In his memory the traditional system of
each department, while the world outside has
forgotten meanwhile a dozen better successive
systems. \ house cleaning" that sweeps out
the bureaucratic cObwebs of long ago is a great
public benefit but few men possess that rare
combination Of patience energy and organizing
talent required for undertaking and accom-
plishng it on a large scale.
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