The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-01-19
MESSAGE ON
ECONOMY and
EFFICIENCY
President Taft Reviews The Re.
port Of Special Commission,
COmmGnGS Findings and
Urges Continuance.

Besun-Waste In Single item of Dis
tributng Public Documents Amounts
to $25oooo Annually - Saving In
Order to Spend More Wisely.
Following are the recommendations
of the president in relation to the re-
port made to him by the commission
on economy and efficiency:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
/ submit for the information of the
congress this report of progress made
in the inquiry into the efficiency and
economy of the methods of transact
ing public business.
Efficiency and economy in the gov
ernment service have been demanded
with increasing insistence for gen
Grafton. Real economy is the result of
efficient organization. BY perfecting
the organization the same benefits may
be obtained at less expense. A reduc-
ton in the total of the annual appro-
prations is not in itself Il proof of
economy, since it is often accompanied
by decrease in efficiency. The needs
of the nation may demand large in
crease of expenditure, yet to keep the
total appropriations within the ex
pected revenue is necessary to the
maintenance of public credit.
Upon the president must rest large
share of the responsibility for the de-
mands made upon the treasury for the
current administration of the eXecu-
tive branch of the government. Upon
the congress must rest responsibility
for those grants Of public funds which
are made for other purposes.
Reason For the Inquiry.
Recognizing my share of responsible
fly for efficient and economical admin
istration, have endeavored during the
past two years, with the assistance of
heads Of departments, to secure the
best results. AS one of the means to
this end / requested grant from con
gress to make my efforts more effec-
tive.
An appropriation Of 100000 was
made June %, 1910, "to enable the
president to inquire into the methods
of transacting the public business Of
the executive departments and other
government establishments and to rec
0mmend to congress such legislation
as may be necessary to carry INTO eff
feet changes found to be desirable that
cannot be accomplished by executive
action alone" l have been given this
fund to enable me to take action and
to make specific recommendations with
respect to the details of transacting
the business Of an organization whose
activities are almost as varied as those
of the entire business world. The OPP
erations of the government affect the
interest of every person living within
the jurisdiction of the United States.
lis organization embraces stations and
ccnters of work located in every city
and in many local subdivisions of the
country. Its gross expenditures amount
to nearly S1,OOOOO0,OOO annually. In
cluding the personnel of the military
ard naval establishments, more than
100000 persons are required to do the
work imposed by law upon the eXecu-
tive branch of the government
Magnitude of the Task.
This vast organization has never
been studied in detail as one piece Of
administrative mechanism. Never have
the foundations been laid for a
thorough consideration of the relations
OF all Of its parts. No comprehensive
effort has been made to list its multi
farious activities or to group them in
such way as to present clear pic
f,,p of 4. 10
Never has a complete description been
given of the agencies through which
these activities are performed. At no
time has the attempt been made TO
study all of these activities and aGen-
cies with a view TO the assignment Of
each activity TO the agency best fitted
for its performance. to the avoidance
of duplication of plant and work, to
the integratiOn of all administrative
agencies of the government, so far as
may be practicable, into a unified or
ganization for the most effective and
economical dispatch Of public bust
ness.
First Complete Investigation.
Notwithstanding that voluminous re-
scented to the congress, no satisfactory
statement has ever been published Of
the financial transactions of the gov
ernmeut as whole. Provision is
made for due accountability for all
moneys coming into the hands Of of
ncers of the government, whether as
collectors of revenue or disbursing
agents, and for insuring that authori-
Eations for expenditures as made by
law shall not be exceeded. But no
general system has ever been devised
for reporting and presenting informa-
ton regarding the character of the
expenditures made in such a way as
to reveal the actual costs entailed in
the Operation Of individual services and
in the performance of particular un-
dertakings nor In such a way as to