The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-12-08


Panama canal | approve this pro
posal.
The policy of paying for the con
struction Of the Panama canal moi
out of current revenue, bit by bond
issue. was adopted in the Spooner act
OF 1902, and there seems 10 be no good
reason for departing from the prlnci-
pie by which a part ut least of the
burden of the cost Of the canal shall
fall upon our posterity. who are tt
enjoy il, and There is all the more rea,
son for t6is view because the actual
cost to date of the canal. which is now
half done and which will be completed
Jan. |. 1915, shows that the cost OF
engineering and construction will be
S291 1G6.OO0 instead of $3.50. 705.200. as
originally estimated. In addition to
engineering and construction, the 9th,
er expenses. including sanitation and
government and the amount paid for
the properties. the franchise and the
privilege of building the canal. in
NiN' INV ''Hi ny N'''.AHbi.bpc W "a
total of $311J,.Ol 800. The increase in
the cost of engineering and construc.
ton IN due to q substantial enlarge
nent of the plan Of construction by
widening the canal 100 feet in the Gu
Zebra cut and by increasing the di-
mensions of the locks. to tie under
estimate Of the quantity of the work
to be done under the original plan and
to an underestimate Of the cost of Ia
Dor and materials. both of which have
greatly enhanced IN prize since the
original estimate was made.
In order to avoid~a ledcit for the
ensuing fiscal year ! directed the
heads of departments in the prepara-
ton of their estimates to make them
as low as possible consistent with i'm
perative governmental necessity. The
result has been, as ! am advised by
the secretary of the treasury, that the
estimates Of the expenses Of the gov
ernment for the fiscal year ending
June 80. l9l1-that Is, for the next
fiscal year are less by S55.GG3 900
than the total of appropriations for
the current fiscal year and less by
$4,000, GOO than the estimates for that
year. So far as the secretary of the
treasury Is able to form Judgment as
tosfutHre Income and compare it with
the expenditure for the next fiscal
year ending June so, 1911. including
the payments on account of the Pan.
anna canal and the public debt, there
will be no deficit in the year ending
June 80, 1911, but a small surplus of
S7t2,000
In the present estimates the needs
IF the departments and OF the gov
have been cut to the quick,
so to speak, and any assumption on
he part of congress. so often made in
lines past, that the estimates have
been prepared with the expectation
hat they may be reduced will result
n seriously hampering proper admin
stration.
The secretary Of the treasury points
'ut, what should be carefully noted in
aspect to this reduction In govern
mental expenses for the next fiscal
year that the economies are of two |
iinds-frst. there is saving In the |
permanent administration of the de-
bureaus and offices Of the |
and, second, there is q |
present reduction In expenses by a |
of projects and i'm
that ultimately will have |
Q be carried out, but which are now |
elayed with the hope that additional |
evenue in the future will permit their
xecution without producing a deficit
Working For Economy.
1t has been impossible in the prepare
lon of estimates greatly to reduce the
oSt of permanent administration
his cannot be done without thor
ugh reorganization of bureaus, of.
ces and departments. For the pur.
ose Of securing information which
nay enable the executive and the leg
'lative branches to unite in plan for
ne permanent reduction of the cost of
Governmental administration the treas
ry department has instituted an in.
by one of the most skilled
xpert accountants in the United
tates. The result of this work in two
r three bureaus, which, Il extended
, the entire government, must occupy
No or more years. has been to show
luch room for improvement and op.
for substantial reductions in
he cost and increased efficiency Of adj
The object OF the invcs-
cation is to devise means to increase
lie average efficiency of each employee
here IS great room for Improvement
ward this end, not only by the reor-
IMITATION of bureaus and departments
nd IN the avoidance Of duplication.
Mt also in the treatment OF the indi-
dual employee.
Under the present system it constant
happens that two employees receive
e same salary when the work of one
far more difficult and important and
tacting than that of the other. SUI
arior ability Is not rewarded or en-
,uraged. As the classification Is now
ltirely by salary. an employee often
seS IL t,p highest class while doing
70 easiest work, for. which alone he
ny he fitted An investigation order
hy NY predecessor resulted in the
COMMUNICATION that the civil service
, rerlaSSiiled according to the kind of