The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-01-19

take possible the exercise of int
gent judgment regarding the discretion
displayed In making expenditure and
concerning the value of the results OBJ
tanned when contrasted with the sacri-
fees required.
! am convinced that results which
cured. or at least can be secured only
in small part. through the prosecution
at irregular intervals OF special in
quiries bearing on particular services
| or features Of administration The
benefits thus obtained must be but
miniStratiOn Is not one that can be
solved ut one time. 1t is continuous
ly present one. . s
~. Plan of the Work.
In accordance with my instructions
| the commission on economy and eff
| cheney, which | Orga niZed to aid me in
! the inquiry. has directed its efforts
| primarily to the formulation of CON
crete recommendations looking to the
betterment Of the fundamental cOndi-
| tons under which governmental opera
| lions must be carried on. With Il basis
! thus laid it has proceeded to the prose
| cution of detailed studies of individual
services and classes of work and or
particular practices and methods. push
| ing these studies rs far and covering
| as many points and services rs the re-
. sources and time ut its disposal have
! permitted.
| In approaching its task it has divid-
ed the work into five fields of inquiry
having to do respectively with organi-
cation, personnel. business methods. ac-
counting and reporting and the budget.
Organization.
| | have stated that the congress. the
/ president and the administrative Of
fcers are attempting to discharge the
duties with which they are intruSted
without full information as to the
agencies through which the work Of
the government is being performed
To provide more complete information
en- this point the commission has sub.
mitted to me a report Oh the Organi-
zation of the government as it existed
July ], 1911. This report. which is
transmitted herewith. shows in great
detail, by means OF outlines. not only
the departments. commissions bureaus
and Offices through which the govern
ment performs its varied activities.
but also the sections, shops. field sta
tons, etc, constituting the subordinate
divisions through which the work is
actually done. 1t shows for the serv.
ices at Washington each such final
unit as laboratory. library, shop and
administrative subdivision and for the
services outside of Washington each
station and point at which any activ-
ity Of the government is carried on.
Specific Economies Demonstrated.
With this outline as basis the COM
mission has entered upon the prepare
ton Of three series of reports.
The first series deals with the man.
ner in which the services OF the gov
ernment should be grouped in depart
Inents.
! The second ard third series of re-
ports deal. respectively. with the or
ganization and activities of particular
services and the form Of organization
for the performance of particular bust.
ness operations.
! One of the reports Of the second Sc
ries is upon the revenue cutter service.
which costs the government over
S2.5OOOOO each year. In the opinion Of
the commission it's varied activities
can he performed with equal or great.
or advantage by other services. The
commission therefore recommends that
! it be abolished. 1t is estimated that
, hy 50 doing Il saving of not less than
$t,HN.GD year can be made.
Another report illustrating the Sec
! ond series recommends that the light
house and life saving services be adj
! ministered by single bureau instead
Of. as at present, by two bureaus locat-
ed in different departments. These
services have much in common. Geo.
graphically they are similarly located:
Enthusiastically they have many Of
the same problems. 1t is estimated
that consolidation would result in a
saving of not less than 100000 an
nually. ...s. .. ... -
In third report the commission has
recommended the abolition of the re-
turns Office of the department Of the
! interior. This action. in it's opinion.
will cause no loss in service to the
public and will result in a direct saw
ing of not less than $4,000 year, in
addition to large indirect economy
in the reduction of work to be per-
| formed 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
customs accounts at the principal ports
The changes recommended will improve
in many ways the auditing Of public
accounts and will result in an immedi-
ate saving of at least $135, 900 annually
i A third series OF reports Is being pre-
pared on those branches Of the organ.
iZation which are technica! in charac.
ter and which exist for the service of
| the government as whole-branches
which have to do with such matters as
public printing heating, lighting. the
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