Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-02
TO DECREASE WORK
or-Saving Devices Shown
at Treasury Building.
ADDRESS BY Mr.. NORTON
Asks Heads Of Bureaus and Divi.
sions to Report on Efficiency Of
Apparatus Shown.

Assistant Secretary Norton today
opened in the basement floor Of the
Treasury building an exhibit OF ONCE
labor and time saving devices making
a speech to tho chiefs of bureaus and
heads of divisions a. to the significance
Of the exhibit ana the purposes Of the
administration, or the Treasury end Of
1t. at least.
There are about seventy-hve exhibit
tors. each with an attractive exhibit.
making up what is said to be tho
largest and most up-to-date display of
ONCE labor saving devices ever held in
the country.
Mr.. Norton. in his address. explained
that the exhibit was solely for depart
ment chiefs and employees, and not Tor
the. PUBLIC. After expressing apDrecia,
telling the chiefs and officers he hoped
they would encourage their clerks to in
terest themselves in the exhibits, Mr..
Norton said:
You are requested to report in writing
to the Secretary OF the Treasury. in de-
tail. whether any OF these machines or
devices will increase the efficiency Of
your offices.
Loss OF Employment.
Devices to save clerical labor may
employment, and speaking for myself
only. and without involving any one else
in my personal opinions, 1 want to say q
word on that subject.
NO man is really fortunate who holds
sfnecure. or does work deliberately or
extensively that could be done simply
and at less cost. The man himself de-
heavier penalty than does the emp loyer
from whom he draws something for
nothing on pay day. He il fortunate
whose faculties are tested daily by neces-
way. and who receives fair pay for do
ing it. In the immense and rapidly ex-
pending activities Of government there is
ample room for every clerk who is. or
methods and labor-saving devices. il skill
fully applied. will not, in my opinion,
turn adrift efficient employees.
I'VE are really discussing here one Of
istration-the retrenchment of public ex-
pendftures. At the very moment when
the aspirations Of the whole American
people are for the expansion Of tho great
and costly federal agencies engaged in
promoting public health conserving pub
lie lands, teaching scientific farming or
numbering. improving our waterways, our
national defenses. enlarStng our courts of
Justice; at the very moment. in short.
when the federal government is urged
to expand our national expenditures. as
we have been doing for the past ten
years, We are threatened with deficits
despite our immense revenues. 1t Is in
order to conserve these great projects of
social betterment that retrenchment and
the elimination Of waste have become SO
vitality important and SO necessary to the
American people who employ us all.
Looks to Bureau Chiefs.
And 1t IS to you, the government
bureau and division chiefs. that the ad-
ministration must look for the success
of this policy Of retrenchment. You
must learn to run your bureaus both
more cheaply and more efficiently or
that administration policy will fall 1t
will not do to merely hammer down
expenses regardless Of the interests Of
the service. That is not reform, and
that will not be permanent. There are
ways for US to conduct public business
less expeE sively and at the same time
to increase the efficiency and tho dis
patch with which bussines is done.
and 1t Is upon you that the administra-
ton must rely for this valuable and
essential service. This is the respon-
sibility and the opportunity"