The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-04-03
FOR ECONOMY
President Proposes to Can the Time
killing Clerks

the cabinet with whom the president
has discussed in detail his ideas of
promoting economy in the conduct of
the government believe his plan EN-
braces these two essential things:
The consolidation of bureaus, the
duties of which overlap. causing re-
petition of work, and the employment
OF government clerks, so that none of
them will have. during working hours.
leisure time for reading, sewing and
similar occupations.
There seems to be no doubt that
the consolidation of bureaus will save
the government an immense amount
OF money. Two of these consolida-
tions are now being mapped out.
One is the placing of all the in
vestigating work in connection with
corporation cases in the hands of the
bureau OF corporations.
Won't Need Outside ATTORNEYS.
This will result in a reduction of
the number of employees of the inter-
state commerce commission and a
comparatively slight increase in the
staff of the bureau of corporations.
The employment of special bureau
III SAS uSpe1t eiiCuL vi JuSllCc lOl lllc
law work in these cases will do away
with the expense of employing outside
attorneys, as was the custom in the
Roosevelt regime.
The second consolidation is that of
all the bureaus and other agencies of
the federal government for preserv-
ing the public health. This, even more
than the corporation reforms. will re-
duce the number of clerks and agents.
There is no doubt that members of
the cabinet have become impressed
with the necessity of keeping their
clerical forces down to the smallest
numbers possible.
AS is always the case when new
administration comes in, there have
been many stories of superfluous
clerks in different divisions, and there
has been heard the usual murmur
against 'sinecures."
In some instances the chiefs of
bureaus have been given to under
stand that they can make a good i'm
preston by having the work under
them done with smaller forces than is
now the case.
Economy Rule Prevails.
For these reasons. it Is assured that
the next estimates Of the executive
departments to congress will be less
marked by extravaganza and will be
notable because Of clerical reductions
A wave of economy in the conduct OF
government affairs is on with a VEN
geance. and it will bear fruit in the
shape Of more work and less em-
ployec.
Government clerks are telling their
congressman weird and wonderful
tales of the ways in which some of the
chiefs of divisions have been affected
by the recent pronouncement of the
cabinet in favor of economy and ex-
treme care in the expenditure of gov
ernmens money
One chief. when requisition for
seventy-fve-cent mirror was issued,
refused to let the requisition 20
through until no had taken a good
look around and assured himself that
the number of mirrors on his floor
was such as to make another neces-
sary.
In several other divisions, clerks
who waste paper and ink are called to
book in prompt and emphatic manner.
Economy in paper and ink was never
heard of in Washington until within
the last few days.
In regard to these clerks who find
time to read the morning newspapers
after working hours begin to get an
opportunity to take in several chap
ters of the latest popular novel before
the working day ends. it may he said
that they are in position to be told
that they will have still more leisure.
Army and Navy May Feel 1t.
A similar rule will be applied to am
bitious young men who study medi-
cine and law in government Offices.
These things will come to pass all
the more surely because the chiefs
themselves are fully imbued with the
idea that the members Of the cabinet
are in earnest in the economy talk,
and mean to get results.
There has been much discussion in
the cabinet meetings as to a method
for having more economy in the ex-
penditures connected with the army
and navy. but no fixed policy in this
connection has been agreed upon eX-
cept the understanding that the cabi-
net members in charge of these de-
partments shall exercise the greatest