Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1912-05-30
CuRTA|L EXPENSES
SAYS McCUMBER
GREATER ECONOMY AND BUSI-
NESS EFFICIENCY NEEDED IN
GOVT. ADMINISTRATION.

Washington, May Ex-senator
Porter J. McCumber of North Da-
kota, a member Of the finance CON-
mittee, the committee on expendi-
lures in the interior department., and
chairman of the pensions committee.
who has been investigating govern
ment expenditures, in a statement
made today says he is in favor Of n
complete overhauling of the depart
ments, with a view to promoting,
greater economy and business eff
cheney.
''This is one of the first problems
that congress must take up at the be-
ginning of the next session. The
revelation of extravaganza and waste
that have come to view in connec-
tion with the work of the various
committees of congress investigating
the government departments show
the paramount Importance of the in
PRODUCTION of strict business meth
ods," he declares.
mo private business concern
would tolerate the extravagant
| methods in running some of the
federal departments" says Senator
McCumber None of the depart
ments is free from faulty admins
tration, and millions of dollars could
be saved the government by simply
adopting the methods of up-to-date
business management. Until this is
done the government will bear the
burdens of needless expense in many
directions.
''The extravagant methods of car
rying on the governments business,
furnish striking argument against
| government ownership of public utiI-
ties. l am strongly opposed to the
proposal of Postmaster General
Hitchcock for the government to
take over the privately owned tele-
graph lines. The folly of this must
be clear to thoughtful business men.
Any one who has investigated the
cost of running the government de-.
| partments knows that in the hands
of private individuals they could be,
conducted at half the cost. ] have
no doubt that the postoffice depart
ment could be run at 80 per cent
less it's present cost by private indi-
viduals. This could also be done in
the other federal departments.
"But there are other reasons be-
sides cost why I am opposed to gov
ernment ownership of utilities. In
the first place, if the government
were to take over the telegraph lines
there is no telling where it would
stop. 1t would create a vast army Of
political Office holders who would
constitute a menace to our political
system. No one could hope for cleo
ton to public Office or to congress
unless his election came through
this immense political machine
Then again, government ownership
means paternalism and paternalism
means death to American business
initiative With everything fixed by
government regulation, all fair
and legitimate competition would
be eliminated from business
Remember, for the success Of any
business enterprise we must have
ambition in front of US and necessity
behind. This is the law of life, and
however agreeable theory of gov
ernment may sound we cannot get
away from this fact.
II should regret the day when the
of paternalism in Europe, due to
government ownership, became pre-
valent in this country. We should
avoid government control of any
business that can better be run In
private hands. What we should do
is to determine how the govern
ment's business can be run on ba-
sis of economy and efficiency, rather
than for the government to assume
faaka not nrOnor1v ifR own"