Arizona republican., 1910-12-07

vice X better system under that law
 for promotions ought to be devised
 but given the selected employe ther,
 remains still the question of promoting
 his efficiency and his usefulness {,
 the government and that can b,
 brought about only by careful com.
 parison of unit work done by the in
 dividual and appointing out of thu necessity for improvement in this re-
 gard where improvement is possible
 INQUIRY INTO ECONOMY AND EFF.
 FIcIENCY.
 The increase in the activities and ir the annual expenditures of the fed eral government has been so rapid and so great that the time has come tC check the expansion of government ac- tivities in new directions until we have tested the economy and eff ciency with which the government of today is being carried on. The re- | sponsibility rests upon the head of the administration. He is held ac- 1 countable by the public and properly so. Despite the unselfish and patrio- | tic efforts of the heads of depart ments and others charged with re- | sponsibility of government, there has grown up in this country a conviction that the expenses of government are too great The fundamental reason for the existence undetected of waste, duplication and bad management is ! the lack of prompt, accurate informa- ftion. The president of a private cor poration doing so vast a business as the government transacts, would, through competent specialists. main tain the closest scrutiny on the com parative efficiency and the compara- tive cost in each division or depart ment of the business He would know precisely what the duties and the ac- tivities of each bureau or division are in order to prevent overlapping No adequate machinery at present ex- ists for supplying the president of the United States with such informa- tio respecting the business for which he is responsible. For the first time in the history of government congress in the last session supplied this last need and made an appropriation to enable the president to inquire into the economy and efficiency of the executive departments and l am now assembling an organization for the purpose.
 At the outset I find comparison be- tween departments and bureaus impos- siblc for the reason that in no two departments are the expenditures and estimates displayed and classified alike The first step is to reduce all to a common standard for classification and judgment, and this work is now being done When it is completed the foundation will be laid for a busi- ness like national budget. and for such just comparison of the economy and efficiency with which the several bureaus and divisions are conducted as will enable the president and the heads of departments to detect waste. eliminate duplication, encourage the intelligent and effective civil servants whose efforts too often are unnoticed. and secure the public service at the lowest possible cost
 ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY.
 The committees on appropriations of congress have diligently worked to reduce the expenses of government and have found their efforts often blocked by lack of accurate informa- tion containing a proper anaylsis of
 
 sonable costs. The result of this in- quiry should enable the executive in his communications 10 congress t1 give information to which congress is entitled. and which will enable it to promote economy.
 I have requested the head of each department to appoint committees on economy and efficiency in crder to secure full co-opcrGt.on in the move ment by the employees of the gov ernmcnt themselves.
 l urge the continuance of the apnro- pr.ation of s1OO.)O0 requested fer tEe Gscai year 1912 - Mt experience leaIs me to believe that while gov=rn,nsn: methods are much critici ed. t',e bad resuits-if ,.o dD have bad rcs'Ii:.s--arc not due to :ack @: zeal or wilI'rgussS on the rart "' tLe civil serVyn ;. on the con- frtT. l believe tn, fine spirit "f willingness tJ work exists in the per.;'l, mel. which. if properly "rcour- :' cUt Asill produC' results equal to ti"G,c secured in the best managed ! ! " L. enterprises In handling gov tTEi.', nt eXperditu.'ss the aim is not | pr ,!, ,e aim is th- rla <i'num ".b- Iic S'I .cc at tho ln;rinmm cot We | Y is.l '.' r"dur" = 'Sp,li iLIGs of the ! government and we wish to save mon- i ey to enable the government to go into | some of the beneficial projects which 1 we are debarred from taking up now | because we ought not to increase our | expenditures.
 On a later date I shall send to con | gross d special memsage on this sub ject.
 CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT.
 It is impossible to proceed far in such an investigation without ger rcivinS the need Of suitable means If eliminating from the service the This can be done in one of two ways, either by straight civil pension-or by some form of con- tributory pension profiting by the experience of England and other with pension plans
 The simplest and most independent solution of the problems for both em- Dloye and the government is a com Dulsory savings arrangement, the em- Dloye to set aside from his salary, a 'um sufficient with the help of iberal rate of interest from the gov to purchase an adequate an- luity for him on retirement, this ac- emulation to he inalienably his and 'laimable if he leaves the service be-