The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-09-02

IN tho discussion aud criticism which
will follow n the three ensuing months,
he can gather IDEAS that viii enabl!
him 90 modify bis recommendations In
details for the consideration Of con
gress
Big Political Event.
An the country will be watching his
appearance az ST. Paul IL Is certain
10 be a big political event Of the au.
tumn. lt will come just ais the time
when the state and congressional cam
paigns are beginning in earnest and,
If he succeeds in making a good i'm.
preston with his suggestions for hand
ling the conservation problem, Il will
rebound in a material way to the bene.
ht Of his party in the campaign.
Economy Program.
Within the last few days the Presi.
dent has inaugurated a new phase OF
the economy program. This is done
under the authority Of congress in ap.
propriating 100000 for the investipa.
ton and reorganization of the depart
ments at Washington. II has been
virtually decided that a commission will
be selected to consist of one official in
each of The departments and independ-
ent bureaus and that this commission
shall have the assistance OF a corps OF
experts. The work in reality is to be
conducted by the secretary to the Presi.
dent, Mr.. Norton, who has already sent
out statement inviting expert ac.
countants and others to submit plans
for a program Of investigation
G II is the intention that the reorgani-
cation shall he of a very thorough char.
acter. The economy will extend down
to n vast deal Of routine work. such
as the writing of letters. II is pro-
posed that the cost of writing letters.
in fact Of writing an average govern.
ment letter and the waste in such work
shall be determined. There is belief
that a vast deal Of stenographic and
typewritng work, which costs the gov.
eminent in the aggregate hundreds OF
thousands of dollars annually, can well
be dispensed with and would be dis.
pensed with in a well.conducted bust
ness establishment.
Invites Suggestions.
Secretary Norton has invited the
clerks in the departments to submit sug-
gestions for economy aud has received
some suggestions already which he re-
CARDS as of value. This is the first
time in the history Of the government
that the President has been given an
appropriation to investigate the depart
ments under his jurisdiction. Mr.. Taft
is DESTROYS that the work shall be thor.
oughly done and a start made toward
reducing expenses. Incidentally this is
in the direction of economy which Sen.
ator Aldrieh suggested when he said
the government could be run by q good
business man for 100000 less than
il is now costing. The experts that show
the most workable program will be com
mssioned to go ahead under the direc
tion of the commission, probe the work
of the departments to the very bottom
and tell ultimately how the work ought
% be done, to assure economy as well
as efficiency.
Regular Housecleaninng
These reforms in the conduct of de.
partment business come every ten or
fifteen years and generally result in
some advance. The last Democratic
congress authorized the Dockery com
mission, so'ealed, which inaugurated
some important reforms. But they did
not have the time or the authority to
do the work as thoroughly as it might
have been done. Then there IS stead Y
advance in the business world in meth
DDS Of conducting affairs, The tendency
in the government departments, on the
other hand, is to retrograde, rather than
to advance. A shake up in methods, such
as is now contemplated therefore be.
/ comes a necessity occasionally for the
good of the public service. The result
may be the discharge of an incompetent
clerk or official here and there, but il
/ will be more marked in the introduction
of laborsaving devices and in the sub.
/ situation of modern for antiquated