Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-17
Outlines Of Organization.

| styling these units by character ard geo.
| graphical location, the number of units
/ of a like character that exist at Wash
| fngton, and the number and character of
| services of the government in each city
or other point in the United States. With
| this information available, it is possible to
| study any particular activity or the prob
| lem OF maintaining services at any given
| city or point.
Information of this character has never
before been available Administrative OFF,
Gals have been called upon to discharge
| their duties without that full knowledge
| of the machinery under their direction
which is so necessary to the exercise OF
effective control; much less have they
| had information regarding agencies in
other services that might be made use of.
Under such circumstances each service is
| compelled to rely upon itself. to build up
its own organization. and to provide it's
| own facilities regardless Of those in ex-
istence elsewhere.
This outline has been prepared on the
| loose-leaf system. so that it Is possible to
keep 1t revised to date at little or no ex-
pense. The outline thus constitutes a
work Of permanent value.
Comprehensive Plan Of Organization.
With this outline as basis, tho COM
mission has entered upon the preparation
Of three series Of reports. The first
series deals with the manner in which
the services Of the government should be
grouped in departments. This is a mat
ter of fundamental Importance. 1t is
only after satisfactory solution Of this
problem that many important measures
of reform become possible. Only by
acter can substantial progress be made in
eliminating duplication of work and plant
and proper working relations he establish
ed between services engaged in similar
| activities. Until the head of a depart
ment is called upon to deal exclusively
with matters falling in but one or very
few distinct fields, effective supervision
and control is impossible. AS long as the
same department embraces services so
diverse in character as those of life-sav-
ing and the management Of public
finances, standardization Of accounting
methods and Of other business practices
is exceedingly difficult of attsinment.
So dependent are other reforms upon
have instructed the commission to indi-
cate In its report the changes which
should be made In the existing organiZa-
ton and to proceed in the same way as
in planning for the improvement and de-
velopment Of a great city. My desire is
| to secure and to furnish to the Congress
a scheme Of organization that can be
used as a basis of discussion and action
for years to come.
In the past services have been created
one by one as exigencies have seemed to
demand. with little or no reference to any
as q whole. I am convinced that the time
has come when the government should
take stock of all its activities and
| agencies and formulate q comprehensive
plan with reference to which future
commission Is being prepared with this
! idea In mind. When completed II will be
| transmitted to the Congress. The recon-
mendations will be of such character
, that they can be acted upon one by one
! il they commend themselves to the Con-
gress and as action in regard to any one
Of them is deemed to be urgent.
Reports on Particular Services.
The second and third series Of reports
| deal, respectively. with the organization
| and activities Of particular services. and
| the sorm Of organization for the perform
ance Of particular business operations.
| One Of the reports OF the second series is
| upon the revenue cutter service, which
/ costs the government over two and a half
| of the commission its varied activities
! can be performed with equal, or greater,
| advantage by other services. The COM
| mission, therefore, recommends that 1t be
| abolished. 1t is estimated that by SO do
| ing a saving of not less than 100000 a
| year can be made.
| Another report illustrating the second
| series recommends that the lighthouse
| and life-saving services be administered
| by a single bureau instead of as at pres
/ ent by two bureaus located in different
i departments These services have much
! in common. Geographically, they are
similarly located; enthusiastically, they
have many OF the same problems. 1t is
i estimated that consolidation would re-
suit in a saving of not less than 100000
! annually.
| in a third report the commission has
recommended the abolition OF the returns
| office Of the Department of the Interior.
This action. in its opinion. will cause no
loss in service to the public and will re-
suit in a direct saving of not less than
$685. 600 a year, in addition to a large in
direct economy in the reduction of work
| to be performed in the several Offices.
! In another report the commission has
recommended the consolidation of the six
auditing offices Of the Treasury and the
inclusion in the auditing system Of the
| seven naval officers who now audit GUS
| toms accounts at the principal ports. The
changes recommended will improve In
many ways the auditing of public ac-
counts and evil result in an immediate
saving Of at least $4,000 annually.
General Technical Services.
A third series of reports is being pre-
pared on those branches Of the organiza-
ton which are technical In character and
which exist for the service of the gov.
eminent as q whole-branches which have
to do with such matters as public print
ing, heating. lighting, the making Of re.
pairs. the providing Of transportation and
the compilation Of statistics where me-
chanical equipment Is essential.
Abolition Of Local Offices.
Perhaps the part Of the organization in
which the greatest economy In public ex
penditure is possible is to be found In the
numerous local offices Of the government
In some instances tho establishment ant
the discontinuance Of these local ONCE.
are matters Of administrative discretion
In other instances they are esta blished Dy
permanent law In such q manner tha
their discontinuance In beyond the power
OF the President or that Of any executiv,
officer. In q number of services thes.
laws were passed nearly q century ago
Changes In economic conditions nav,
taken place which have had the effect o.
rendering certain offices not only useles,
but even worse than useless In that theil
lures and complexities the administrativ,
system.
/; The attention Of the Congress has beer
called repeatedly to these conditions. II
some instances the Congress- has approvet
recommendation for the abolition Of Use
less positions. In other cases not only
: do the recommendations OF the execu&tv,
that useless positions b abolished remaiI