The Washington times., 1911-01-24
Petty Offcialism.
? of THE TINES:

To the Editor of THE TIMES:
Government employees generally are
at present imbued with a feeling Of
gratitude toward The Times for the at
titude which that always enterprising
and progressive paper is taking toward
the salary question in their behalf
For is not the nearest way to a mans
heart through his purse?
But as they are denied the right of
free speech, there is another considera-
ton which the thoughtful class would
like to see ventilated through your COL
Umns. This is the astounding increase
Of petty offcialism." This term, as
here used, applies not merely to the
technical grade of official, but is ap-
piled also to the spirit of petty off,
Cialism when manifested in the higher
positions. 1t is the nagging, meddling.
Guibbling tendency which. in its eXag-
geration of trivial details, is incapable
of grasping larger issues. Because of
the prevalence of this tendency, under
the present regime, the service will soon
be so hampered by red tape and petty
regulations that there will be no room
left for the legitimate work. 1t is the
results are almost entirely lost sight
of in the fog of muItitudinous and non
essential details which obstruct prog
ress and hamper the workers.
This may appear astonishing. in view
of the great advertising of modern
business methods in the departments
and the talk OF doing away with red
tape together with the efforts of
numerous high-salaried commissions
and committees which have been in
vestigating for the past few years with
this end in view. The departments
have been committed and investigated
and reformed to a fragile, and the di-
rect effect of the agitation and Mysteries
seems to be more red tape than before
one kind is substituted for by three
times as much of some other kind.
And as for the employees, the very
hairs on their heads are counted and
card-indexed, and every minute and
half second of the day be-ruled and be-
regulated, until 1t is a wonder that
these harassed and hunted individuals
are able to get any of the real work
done at all.
When an express train is starting on
a run, the first essentials are a clear
track, and a clear-headed engineer.
But, by way of illustration, we will
suppose something which railway Off
Gals never az
We will suppose them, in preparation
for the run, first obstructing the track
with huge piles of little pebbles. In the
case of the engineer, we will imagine
him, not intrusted with the supreme
duty of keeping his head clear and
his eve single, but harassed, bewildered
and nagged by multitude of Superfiu-
Gus, puerile and conflicting regulations.
We will imagine him so beSet and pes
tered by the fear of inadvertently over
looking one of these that three-fourths
of his energy Is wasted.
For instance, instead of the man
duty of keeping his eye on the track;
and his hand on the throttle, We VIII
suppose him required to note the chlck,
en- coops on the farms along the way, ana
that every five minutes he be required
to recount the buttons on his shirt. 10
complete the picture, he must not omit
to keep a card-in6eX of these interest
ing details while the train is running.
If a wreck occurs, under these clrcum-
stances, it must, above all, be set down
to his inefficiency.
This sounds ludicrous. but Is little
more so than the conditions under
which many Government employees are
working, " and 1t is the direct result of
the aforesaid petty officialism. 1t may
be regarded as ECONOMY to supply the
increasing needs of the service by Civ
ing executive matters into the hands OF
low grade men, or near-officials, but
when the situation, as above described,
Is considered IL would seem penny
"'se' pounu ioO'H PRoGREssIvE.