Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1912-04-04
WOULD CLASSIFY OFFICERS
EXECUTIVE BELIEVES PosrMAs.
TIERS AND OTHERS SHOULD
BE IN CIVIL SERVICE.
WOULD MEAN A Big SAVING
PRESIDENT THINKS NATION
COULD DO ITS WORK MORE
cHEAPLY BY $1,000. 900.

washington, April 4.-President
Taft today submitted to congress a
message in which he made strong
recommendations bearing upon great
er efficiency and economy in the
methods used in transacting the pub
lie business of the various executive
departments and other governmental
establishments.
The president referred to the ad-
vantages to be derived from placing
in the classified service the local Of
ficers under the departments Of the
treasury, Of the postoffice, OF justice,
of the interior and OF commerce and
labor" and stated. that Indirectly
the changes proposed will result in
the saving of many millions Of dollars
of public funds besides greatly in
creasing the efficiency Of the SER
vice affected. The message says in
part:
Il have several times called atten-
ton to the advantages to be derived
from placing in the elasssz,aa- -aarvise.
the LOCAL officers under the depart
ments of the treasury, or the postof-
flee, of justice. of the interior and Of
commerce and labor. In my message
submitted to the congress on Janu-
ary 17.<I referred to the loss occa-
stoned to the government because Of
the fact that in many cases two per
sons are paid for doing the work that
could easily be done by one.'
The president in his message stat
ed that the loss on this account had
been shown by an inquiry to amount
to s1O,O0O,OOO annually.
For example," he added, "it ap-
pears that very substantial econ
omy would result from putting ex-
perienced and trained officers in
charge of the first and second class
postoffices, instead of selecting the
postmasters in accordance with the
present practice.
Gas the annual operating expenses
of the first and second class officers
aggregate the enormous sum of more
than $SO,O0O,O0O, undoubtedly if the
postmasters of these offices we're EN-
braced in the classified service, the
annual savings would eventually rep |
resent many millions of dollars. The
saving in salaries alone, not taking /
into account any saving due to in
creased efficiency of operation,
would amount to about $4,500,000 In
the case of postmasters at offices of
the third class a large annual saving I
could be made
The message stated that nearly.
$4,000 could be saved annually by
placing the pensions agent In the
classified service. and that the field
side OF the general land office could I
be more efficiently and economically I
operated If it was provided by law
that the office of receiver Of district
land offices be abolished and the du-
ties transferred to the register, as
sisted by bonded clerk and the reg.
lister placed in the classified service"
It has been estimated that the adop-
tion of this plan would cause an an
nual saving of 100000. according to
the message.
A direct saving in salaries and an
indirect economy through increased
efficiency would follow the transfer
Of the international revenue and Gus
toms offices, now political appointees,
to the classified service, the president |
said in his message. In conclusion, +
the president, referring to all the re.
ports and recommendations in his
said:
"Again / urge upon congress the de-
frsonfsnuoa an pave Fivel