Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-24
oEsEREr EVENING NEWS THURSDAY FEBRUARY "a 1910

I the protection of our Pacific and At
lantic coasts that We can abato and
reduce our expenditures In new con-
structlon.
Tho reductions In the Interior de-
partment were l think. moro of them
in the administration than in the OK
penditures for IMPROVEMENTS, and this
was also tho caSo In tho postofflce de-
partment.
PENSIONS.
'sThe reduction In the interior depart
ment. $4,000. 600. was due TO a reduction
In the amount of pensions TO be psud
out, and we may reasonably hope that
as the years now go on this amount
Will gradually be reduced.
ION the other hand there arc certain
OF our departments which, as the op-
portunities for bettering the condition
OF the people increase. grow In lmpor-
tance and In cost, and we ought not TO
expect reduction either In the eN-
penses growing out OF a conservation
of our resources.
For some time it has been said that
we have billion dollar Congresses. The
statement in itself Is an unjust one,
because IL is generally construed to
mean that the total expense of tho de-
partments to be paid out of taxation
amounts TO a billion dollars year.
This is quite an error, for the reason
that in making up the billion dollars
the expenses for the postoffice depart
ment arc always included, whereas the
expenses of the postoffice department
are not paid for out of the proceeds
of taxes. They are paid out OF re-
ceipts OF that department, from the
sale OF stamps, with the exception OF
SIT 500. 600. which was the excess OF the
cost of the postoihce department last
year over its receipts. This, therefore,
reduces the cost by taxation of the
government each year to something
like $750.000,0 900.
ORGANIZATION OF DEPARTMENTS
1T Is now proposed to appoint con-
gressional commission to look into the
question of a general reorganization OF
the departments of the government
with a view of reducing the expense
of administering the government
"It has been stated on tho floor OF the
senate that IL will be possible by this
commission to reduce tho cost OF ad-
ministering the government S100,O0O,-
900 a year, and, II a free hand were
given TO business man. the reduction
In the expense of administration might
be doubled or trebled. L am unable to
confirm these statements as TO exact
amount, but l am sure that con-
servatlve, prudent and fearless COM
mission can make a most material re-
duCtion In the cost Oh administering
the government
"They will find opposition in Con-
gress to every change recommended
because there is no branch or bureau
SO humble that 1t cannot secure Its ad-
herents and defenders within the legis-
lative halls. But, II by the totals that
il shows, this commission shall justify
its existence, 1t is probable that 1t can
secure a majority sufficient to carry
through its proposed reforms. This
government has been constructed not
all at one time. but bureau has been
added to bureau, and department to de-
partment, and it has been impossible
to avoid duplication and expensive
methods.
This proposed commission, as 1 un-
derstand 1t, is to take up the bureaus
of all departments. Is to see whether
they may not often be connected, and
to lay down such rules governing the
civil service as will secure the most
efficiency.
TOO MANY EMPLOYEES.
"It Is undoubtedly truo today that
we have a great many more persons
employed in the government than We