The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-01-17

.'- -- D." N" 10y ~ z ~ |.
ity 20 government rcI ~ l.tiiioi
81 MOOR sQrine Office anrli4r was
held l1 N1s1lngfon INN NJ c % B
1gi1- One hnndfed md ts6 Inanufde
tlret ana desiers IA! ticipited. and
more than 10 900 6fiicer - j EN- loyees
visited the exhlhltl0H There IS nc
doubt that the exhibition served the
purpose Of brlne ding to the attention Of
officers devices which can be employed
by them with adSdhtae s.The holding
Of this exhibition Wa iowcesr; Out q
step preparatory 60 ne contempt lied
invest ti6t. n.
Unnecessary Cost et Copy, Work
The etfcrt OF tie colnni sioii fe uit.
ca also % the adoption by seyets I'D.
teaus Or departments oF Iiipr6kea
methods of doing cop The asnepIt
Of copy work heFet fore done 5bS hand
each year Ia the many oiiees IS esti;
mated 10 aggfegilt e seyerai hdhdfed
thousatd pllafs. The coInrnls On ex-
hiblted 1T is appliances Chat
were thought to be esp elally adapted
ito this kIndse government work Fol.
lowing these demons ira lions methods
Of COPYING were introduced which have
brought about saving % over o per
cent IN Offices where used for SIX
months! This change I'd one small cross
SECTION ef Office practice vii more than
OFFSET the whole cost Of my. inquiry, i
Waste In pistributieh Of Public pesu.
ntents.
/ Going outside the Office, one of the
business processes which has been In
yestigated IS the distribution OF depart.
mental documents. This is subject
with which both the congress and ad.
ADMINISTRATION heads are familian The
prevailing practice ia handling depart
mental publications is to haye them
factured at the government print
Ing Office. Each Job when completed
is delivered to the department. Here
The books OF pamphlets are wrapped
and addressed. They are then sent to
the postoffice. There they are assorted
and prepared for. shipment through the
mails. From the postoflce they are
sent to the railroad station, which is
only a few steps from the government
printing Office, whence they started.
The results OF this laborious, and cir
eultous method is to make the use of
the best mechanical equipment imprac-
tlcable and to. waste each year not less
than d quarter Of a million dollars Of
government funds in useless handling.
to say nothing OF the Indirect loss due
tolack Of proper co-ordinatiob
WastefuI Use Of Prepst4iss and Equip.
ment. p itt
The use of equipment lis a. matter
which also has been Investigated. Up
to the present time this INVESTIGATION
has been in the main confined 10 the
subject OF electric lighting. Ttie gov
eminent pays over 5000 600 per, year
for electric current. 1t hAssmade large
capital outlays for3wiri1g and fixtures.
With the increasing demands; IN many
buildings the present eqaip ment Is tax;
ed to its limit, and Il the present meth
DDS are continued, much OF tits, VII.
Ing must be done over: I'll many places
employees are WORKING at d great
physical DISADVANTAGE, mua TO sinade-
quate and imprope sighting and there
by with reduced eticlepeyy In every
place where the inquiry has been con;
Quoted it appears that there Is large
Waste; that Without TIE. cost OF re.
wiring. simply BY giving proper 5ttenn-
tionst to location OF lights and the use
Of proper lamps and areaectors, the
light efficiency at points where. needed
may be much Increased and the cost
Of current reduced from, 80 TO go per
cent. Other Inquiries into the use
which is being made Of properties and
equipment are contemplated which
promise even larger results. 80
Unnecessary Cost Of fTsuaanss.
1t is the policy of the government
not to insure public property against
fire and other losses; Question has
been raised whether the government
might not apply the same principle to
other forms Of risk, including insur-
ance of'the fdeltty Of ofacials and EN-.
ployees. A report is now in prepare
ton on the subject which win show
opportunities for large savings. be-
lieve that the present. expense for in
surfing the faithful execution Of con-
tracts, which, though paid by the con
tractor, is more than covered in the
added price to the government, can be
largely reduced without taking away
any element of security. ~
The Importance of establishing and
maintaining standard specifications is
found not only in the possibility Of
very materially reducing the direct
cost of government trading, but also
in insuring to the service materials,
supplies and equipment which are bet.
ter adapted to its pgrposes.4aone of
the results Of indehniteness Of specin-
cations is to impose contract condi-
lions which make it extra hazardous
for persons TO enter into contractual
relations. This not only debtivcs tie
government Of the advantage OF broad
competition, but causes it to pay, an
added margin in price to vepde :wbo
must carry the risk,