The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1910-12-06
.PREsIENT IAET
continued from page i5.)


nance OF the provisions OF the civil
service law was never greater than to-
day. Omcers responsible for the poll
CIV of the administrat ton and their fm-
mediate personal assistants or depu-
ties should not be included within the
classified service, but in my Judgment
public opinion has advanced to the
point where # would support a bill
providing a secure tenure during efti-
cheney for all purely adminlstra tive
officials.
1 entertain the profound conviction
that 1t would greatly aid the cause of
efficient and economical government
and OF better politics II congress could
enact a bill providing that the execu-
tive shall have the power to include
in the classified service all local Of
fees under the treasury department.
the department Of justice, the post
Office department, the interior depart
ment and the department of COM
merce and labor appointments to
which now require the continuation
of the senate, and that upon such
classification the advice and consent
of the senate shall cease to be re-
qufred in such appointments.
BY their certainty OF tenure, depend
emit on good service, and by their free
dom from the necessity for political
activity these local officers would be
induced to become more efficient pub
lie servants.
The civil service law is an attempt
to solve the problem OF the proper Sc
lection OF those who enter the service.
A better system under that law for
promotions ought to be devised; but,
given the selected employee. there re
mains still the question of promoting
his efficiency and his usefulness to the
government, and that can be brought
about only by n careful comparison of
unit work done by the individual and
a pointing out of the necessity for inn
provement in this regard where i'm
provement IS possible.
Inquiry Into Economy and Efficiency
The Increase in the activities and in
the annual expenditures OF the federal
government has been so rapid and so
great that the time has come to check
the expansion of government activities
in new directions until we have tested
the economy and efficiency With which
the government OF today is being car
ried on. The responsibility rests upon
the head of the administration. He Is
held accountable by the public, and
properly so. Despite the unselhsh ana
patriotic efforts of the heads OF depart
ments and others charged with respoh-
sIbility OF government there has grown
up in this country conviction that ths
expenses OF government are too great
The fundamental reason for the exist
ence undetected of waste, duplication
and bad management is the lack OF
nnOs NFNN
The president of private corpora
tIon doing so vast Il business as the
government transacts would, through
competent specialists, maintain the
closest scrutiny on the comparative eff
ficiency and the comparative costs III
each division or department OF the
business. He would know precisely
what the duties and the activities OF
each bureau or division are In order
to prevent overlapping. No adequate
machinery at present exists for sup
plving the president of the United
states with such Information respect
ing the busines for which lie IS re
sponsible.
For the first time In the history OF
the government congress in the last
session supplied this need ana maze
an appropriation to enable the preSl-
dent 10 inquire lLLlu lhG ~SC'AAA'
efficiency Of the executive departments
and l nm now assembling an organl-
cation for the purpose.
At the outset 1 find comparison be-
tween departments and bureaus impos-
sible for the reason that in no two de-
Dnrtments are the estimates and OK
pendltures displayed and classified
alike. The first step IS TO reduce All
to Al common standard for classihca-
ton and Judgment. and this work Is
now being done. When 1t is completed
the foundation will be laid for a bust
nesslike national budget and for such
Il Just comparison of the economy ana
efficiency with which the several bu'
reaus and divisions are conducted as
will enable the president and the heads
pf departments to detect waste, cEmi-
nate duplication, encourage the lntelA-
GENT and effective civil servants whose
efforts too often go unnOticed and Sc
-1re the public service at the lowest
possible cost.
Economy and Efficiency.
Tho committees on appropriations of
congress have diligently worked to re-
luce the expenses of government and
have found their efforts often blocked
by lack Of accurate Information con-
tanning n proper analysis of reqHl""-
1ncnts and of actual and reasonable
costs. The result of this inquiry
should enable the executive In his COM
uunications TO congress to give intor-