Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-01-17

factory stotoment has ever been pub
liahcd % The financial transactions oil
the govodnmeut as "a whole Proc
vision is made for duo accountability
for an moneys coming into the hands
OF officers OF the government. whether
as collectors Of revenue or Disturbing
agents and Tor insufinr that authors.
xations for expenditures NJ made by
law shall not be exceeded. But no
general syatem has ever been devised
for reporting and presenting informa-
tlon regarding the character ~ the
expenditures made. ga such n way as
10 reveal the actual costs cntnlled IN
The operation Of Individual services
and IN the performance Of particular
undertakings. nor In such q way az to
make possibie the exercise OF infolli-
gent Judgment regarding the diacro-
ton displayed IN making expenditure
and concerning the value OF the re-
suits obtained whom contrasted with
tho sacrifices required. Although
earnest efforts have been put forth by
administrative officers and though
many special inquiries have been
made by the congress. no exhaustive
Investigation has ever before been
instituted concerning the methods cm-
ploycd In the transaction Of public
business with a view 10 the adoption
OF the practices and procedure best
fttcd 90 secure the transaction Of
such business with maximum dis
pntch. economy. and efficiency.
"wlth large interests at stake con-
gress and the administration have
aever had all tho Information which
should be currently available ~ the
most intelligent direction Is TO be
given 60 the business IN hand.
"i am convinced that results which
are .eally worth while can not be SCI
cured. or az least can be secured only
IN small pari, through the prosecu-
don az irregular intervals OF special
inquiries bearing on particular SER
vices or features OF administration.
The benefits thus obtained must be
but temporary. The problem OF good
administration Is not one that can be
solved az ono time. II is a contin-
uousiy present one.
The president declares that he has
found waste Ia the handling OF dOcu-
mcntg sent out from the various de-
partmenis and that changes are ncces-
ssry I'm their distribution. Ia the
handling and fling Of correspondence
tho president finds an example oil
what economy and new methods can
DO. He says that for incoming mail
the handling by departments ranges
from SEAS 20 $500 per 1909. For
outgoing mail the cost ranges from
| $50 to S69.N9 per 1000 not Including
the cost Of preparation.
The president finds that matter pre-
pared by the government printer Is
] sent to the vagious departments and
then addressed and mailed and trans
ported 10 the railway station which
Is within q short distance OF the print
ing establishment, thereby entailing
considerable lost motion and a use
less waste of time.
The president draws the following
deduction:
/ ut Is nj once evident either that
n is costing some Of the offices too
little or that others are being run at
an unwarranted expense. Nor are
these varlances explained by the dif-
iercnces in character Of work
The president likewise finds that II
costs excessively for copy work, that
improved Office devices are needed.
that the cost of travel Is excessive,
THAT better methods. % bpying are le-
fmandod. and that the system OF &C.
counting is not such as to give either
the president or congress coherent
idea OF the combined administration.
lie GAYS that In due timc he viii rec
ommend 20 congress laws such as
shall be necessary 20 remedy the evils
/ found 10 exist ana he asks that the
commission DE continued and that
$500 600 should be appropriated 10 adj
vance the work together With S50,0OU
for printing.