Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-01-17

brought to ligst The fact THAT present
methods were quite the reverse ct uni
form. Some esflces follow the practice
Of briedng all correspondence: DIES do
nor Some hare fat files. others fold
all paper before fling. Sons use press
copies; others retain only carbon cop
les.
Cost of Handling ard Filing Core
spondsnes.
The reports also show not only a
| very wide range in the methods of
doing this comparatively simple part
Of the government business, but aHsex-
traordinary range La cost. For the
handling of incoming mail the aver
| ages OF cost by departments vary from
1924 to Ssz.a0 per 1000. For the ham
ding of outgoing mad the averages by
departments vary frefAM to 5000
| per 1000. This does not include the
cost of preparation, but is confined
merely to the physical side of the
work. The variation between indt-
vjduaI Offices is many times greater
than that shown, for averages by de-
partments.
1t has been fonnd that differences OF
average cost by departments closely
follow differences In method and that
the greatest cost Is found tn the de-
partment where the method Is most
involved. another fuet Is OF interest--
viz. that In the two departments above
referred to. which show the lowest
averages. orders have Sbesn Issued
which win lead to large saving with
out innpairing efficiency. 1t cannot be
said what the saving ultimately will be
when the attention of officers in all at
the departments has been focused on
present methods withsa view to chang
ing them In such manner as TO reduce
cost to the lowest point compatible
with efficient service. It. however,
must be a considerable percentage OF
nearly $5,60o.0o0, che total estimated
cost OF handling this pxrt OF the gov
eminent bnsiness at Washington.
Need For labor Saving ofies Dsxicss.
The use OF labor saving office devices
In the services has been made the sub
ject Of special inquiry. An impression
prevails that the government is not
making use of mechanical devices for
economizing labor to the au1e extent
as are efficiently managed private en-
| terprises. Al study has been made OF
the extent to which devices Of this
character are now being employed In
the several branches Of the govern
ment and the opportunities that exist
for their more general use. In order
to secure information as to the various
kinds of labor saving devices that are
in existence and as to their adaptable
ity to government work, an exhibition
| of labor saving office appliances was
held IN Washington from July 6 to Is.
1911. One hundred and ten manufae-
turers and dealers participated. and
more than 10000 officers and employees
visited the exhibition. There is no
doubt that the exhibition served the
purpose of bringing to the attention Of
officers devices which a be employed
by them with advantage. The holding
Of this exhibition was, however. but a
step preparatory to the contemplated
! investigation. &
Unnecessary Cost of Copy Work.
The efforts of the commission result
ed also in the adoption by several hu-
reaus or departments of improved
methods or doing copying. The amount
OF copy work therefore, done by hand
each gear In the many offices is estF.
mated to aggregate several hundred
thousand dollars. The commission ex-
hfbited at It's Offices appliances that
were thought to be especially adapted
to this kind of government work. Fol-
lowing these demonstrations methods
Of copying were introduced which hare
brought about a saving OF over rs per
cent in offices where used for six
months. This change In small cross
section Of office practice win more than
| offset the whole cost OF my inquiry.
Waste In Distribution Of Public Docu-
sner1ts.
Going outside the office, one of the
business processes which has been IN
vesfigated Is the distribution of depart
mental documents. This is a subject
with which both the congress and adj
ninistsation heads are familiar. The
prevailing practice In handling depart
| mental publications Is to have them
manufactured at the government print
ing office. Each job when completed
Isl delivered to the department. Here
the books or DamDhIets are wrapped
and addressed. Thcy are then sent to
the p~ostofice. There they are assorted
and prepared for shipment through the
mails. From The ~postotice they are
sent to the raiirond station, which Is
only a few steps from the government
| printing office, whence they started.
The results OF this laborious and cir
cuitous meth0d Is to make the use OF
the best mechanical equipment imprac-
ticable and TO waste each year not less
than a quarter of a million dollars OF
| government funds Ia useless handling
to say nothing OF the Indirect loss due
TO lack OF proper coordination
| Wasteful uss of Properties ard Equip.
gaent.
The use of equipment is a matter
which also has been investigated. III
to the present tinae this investigation
has been in the main confined to the
subject Of electric lighting. The gov.
aernauent pays over $90o.0a0 per yeal
for electric current. 1t has made Iargs
capital OUTLAWS for wiring and fixtures