Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-25
Government Reorganization.

Government Reorganization.
The United States government is the
largest organization in this country en-
blowing the greatest number or men, III
yolying the heaviest annual expenditure
Organized in 1850, 1t has developed enor-
mously from its small beginnings. Orig
inal,y there were five executive depart
ments. those of State, Treasury, war;
Justice and Posts These departments
were organized somewhat after European
models. with adjustments to suit Amerl-
can conditions They were experimental,
as. indeed, was everything else pertain
ing to the new republic. The business
of the government developed slowly at
first and had the lawmakers not been
absorbed with the questions of finance
and self-defense and political combina-
lions doubtless the fundamental organi-
zation would have been perfected. But
the machine worked fairly well, and when
a new department was needed In li9o 10
administer the affairs of the miniature
navy the existing standards were &C
cepted without question. And also when
the Interior Department was added III
1919 and the Department of Agriculture
1881 anu Tic bCPoit hiShs w.
MERGE and Labor in 1903, no attempt
was made to secure for the whole gov
ornamental establishment a more har-
monious and effective system OF aomlh-
istration
The consequence is that TO-DAY the du-
n,inistrative branch of the government is
d patchwork, a thing OF trauitiohs anu
precedents and expedients become or
sanic No business expert can examine
into the routine affairs of departmental
administration without finding abundant
evidence of unscientific methods. OF
waste of superfiuous routine ana reo
tape, and, above all. of inefficiency IN the
correlation of parts. The force Oh IN
diyidual workers is excellent, but the
methods are antiquated, cumbersome ana
unbusinesslike. Congress undertook IN
the early ninetieS to correct some or
the obvious faults of the system, through
what was known as the Dockery COM
mission which filed a voluminous report
and accomplished few minor reforms
chiefly affecting the personnel OF the de-
partments A few years ago. by execu-
tive order the so-called Keep commits
sion was appointed by the President
without congressional orders and some
progress was effected toward an i'm
proyement in the methods of work.
Neither of these inquiries into the gov
ernment's mechanism touched the vital
question of organization. 1t is to be as
sumed that Congress in writing the fol-
lowing paragraph into the sundry civil
act at the last session had in mind this
fact and in contemplation comprehen-
sive inquiry into the fundamentals Of
federal administration:
ITO enable the President, by the en-
ployment of accountants and experts
from official and private life, to more Ell.
fectively inquire into the methods or
transacting the public business OF the
government in the several executive de-
partments and other government estaD-
lishments, with the view of inaugurating
or changing old methods of transacting
such public business, so as to attain
greater efficiency and economy therein,
and tosascertain and to recommend to
Congress what changes In law may be
necessary to carry into effect such re-
suits of his inquiry as cannot be carried
into effect by executive action alone, ana
for each and every purpose necessary
hereunder. including the employment or
personal services at washington u. e.
or elsewhere, one hundred thousand dol
lars
Thus commissioned and empowered.
President Taft has an opportunity to do
q work which will write the record of the
best business administration this coun-
try has ever known. For some time ten
tative surveys have been in progress pre-
pairing the way for the comprehensive
consideration of the question by the
President and the cabinet. During the
coming week the cabinet will be in ses-
sion In Washington virtually from day to
day, and it is understood that this ques-
ton of departmental reorganization will
form one of the chief subjects of discus
sion. There is no more important bust
ness before the government today than
that Of effecting such changes in the or
ganic system as will permit the conduct
Of federal affairs on the plane of the
highest efficiency and the greatest econ
omy.
This work should be undertaken on the
largest scale and in the broadest spirit.
The most effective commission to under
take IT would be the cabinet itself with
the President as chairman, utilizing such
expert services as may be necessary for
the definition of specific questions and
the proposal of solutions and remedies.
No mere departmental commission COM
posed of bureau chiefs can attain to the
scope or command the prestige essential
to carry out the provision of the sundry
civil act in its full meaning and to the
full extent of its authorization.