Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-07


renew my recommendation that the
claims Of the depositors In the Freedmens
bank be recognized and paid by the passage
OF the pending bill on that subject.
I also renew my recommendation that
steps be taken looking TO the holding OF a
negro exposition in celebration OF the fif-
tieth anniversary OF the issuing by Mr..
Lincoln Of the emancipation proclamation.
BureRu OF Health.
! In my message OF last year I recon-
mended the creation Of Bureau OF
Health. in which should be embraced
ali those government agencies outside OF
1 the war and navy departments which
are now directed toward the preservation
OF public health or exercise funtions ger
name to that subject. I renew this recon-
mendation.
civil Service Commission.
/ The Civil Service commission has con-
tinued its useful duties during the year.
, The necessity for the maintenance OF the
provisions OF the civil service law was
never greater than today. Officers respon-
sible for the policy OF the administration,
and their immediate personal assistants or
deputies, should not be included within
the classified service; but in my judgment
public opinion has advanced to the point
where it would support a bin providing
Z eNNAAN tNAAuAN AllAb eAAlCleAAAF AeA So
purely administrative officials. / entertain
the profound conviction that II would
greatly aid the cause Of efficient ana econ
omical government, and Of better politics
II congress could enact bill providing that
the executive shall have the power to in
clude in the classified service all local
offices under the Treasury department, the
Department of Justice, the Postoffice de-
partment, the Interior department and
the Department of Commerce and Labor,
appointments to which now require the con-
firmauon Of the senate, and that upon
such classification the advice and consent
of the senate shall cease to be required in
such appointments. BY their certainty OF
tenure, dependent on good service, and by
their freedom from the necessity for po-
litical activity, these local officers would
be induced to become more efficient public
servants.
Economy and Efficiency.
The committees on appropriations Of con-
gress have diligently worked to reduce the
expenses Of government and have found
their efforts often blocked by lack Of &C
curate information containing a proper
ar alysis of requirements and of actual and
rea sonable costs. The result Of this inquiry
should enable the executive in his COM
munications to congress to give informa-
ton to which congress is entitled and
which will enable it to promote economy
have requested the head OF each de-
partment to appoint committees on
economy and efficiency in order to secure
full cooperation in the movement by the
employees Of the government themselves,
urge the continuance Of the appropria-
ton Of 100000 requested for the fiscal
year 1912.
My experience leads me to believe that
while government methods are much criti-
cised, the bad results-if we do have bad
results-are not due to a lack OF zeal or
j. willingness on the part of the civil serv-
ents. On the contrary, believe that a fine
spirit of willingness to work exists in the
$ personnel. which, II properly encouras ed
will produce results equal to those secured
in the best managed private enterprise. In
= handling government expenditure the aim
r is not profit-the aim is the maximum OF
public service and minimum of cost. We
wish to reduce the expenditures Of the
I government, and we wish to save money
to enable the government TO 80 into some
Of the beneficial projects which we are
9 debarred from taking up now because we
c ought not to increase our expenditures.
+ At a later date shall send to congress
n a special message on this general subject
Civil Service Retirement.
; 1t is impossible to proceed far in such
! an investigation without perceiving the
9 need Of a suitable means OF eliminating
II from the service the superannuated. Thil
Q can be done in one Of two ways, either by
straight civil pension or by some form o.
u contributory plan.
Careful study of experiments made b!
ID foreign governments shows that tire,
.t.r
'r able out OF the public treasury may b,
rs brought against It by the taxpayer, tn,
administrative officer, and the civil EN-
ploye, respectively. A civil pension &
" bound to become an enormous, continuou
ID and increasing tax the public ex
IN chequer; It Is demOrallzing TO the service
III since Il makes difficult tho dismissal o
Il. incompetent employees after they have partl!
a earned their pension; and It Is disadvanta
ne geous 20 the main body OF employees
TX themselves since IL IL always taken int
he account in fixing salaries and only tn
n few who survive and remain In the ser
Or vice until pensionable age receive tn
te value OF their deferred pay. For this rea
lis SON. after a half century Of experience
n under q most liberal pension system. tn
rs civil servants of England succeeded, abou
e year ago, in having the system so mod
OF fled as to make II virtually q oontribu
" tory plan with provision for refund o
n their theoretical contributions.
r. The experience OF England ana Othe
en- countries shows that neither can a con
as tributary plan be successful, human ma
he ture being what It is which does NO
~ make provision for the return Of contribu
TONS with interest, In case Of death O
=. esignatlon before penaionable age. Fol
lowed 70 It's logical conclusion this mean
-. that the simplest and most independen
~, solution OF the problem for both employ
~, and the government is a compulsory say
80 ings arrangement, the employe to set asio
= from his salary q sum sufficient, with III
- help OF a liberal rate OF interest from II
~ government, 10 purchase an adequate al
:, nuity for him on retirement. this az
cumulation to be inalienably his and CLAIM
able II he leaves the service before reacl
- ing the retirement age or BY his hell
- I'm case Of his death. This Is the prinoip
% upon which the Gillett bill now pendr
n Is drawn.
-, The CLEFT bill, however. goes futher az
Al provides that the government shall contr
- butte 70 the pension fund OF those en-