Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1912-01-17

r TAFT, has been well done. The
Qliry with its constructive measur
is we'll under way. The work shou
now be presented with vigor and ]
ceive the financial support necessa
to make it effective during the ne
fiscal year. Every economy whi'
has been or will be effected throul
changes in organization or metht
will inure to the benefit of the go
A. ernment and of the people in increa
ing measure through the yea
which follow. l am convinced tn;
results which are really worth viii
cannot be secured, or at least can /
\ secured only in small part, throug
the prosecution at irregular interval
or special inquiries bearing on part
: cular services or features of admins
traton. The benefits thus obtaine
must be but temporary The prol
lem of good administration is not on
that can be solved at one time. 1t /
continuously present one"
In many ways the president in
formed congress, a decrease in tn,
cost of government might be assured
There is need, he said, of reorganiza
ton of the government departments
a consolidation and a wedding out
of bureaus that overlap in their work
scores of local offices" throughout
the country should be abolished and
hundreds of political appointees who
do but little work should be taken off
the pay roll and there should be an
improvement in the personnel Of gov
ernment employees through the intro
duction of the civil service in prac-
tically every field; business methods
should be employed by Uncle Sam
just as big corporations use them, a
modern system of accounting and re-
porting should be adopted and last of
all the economy commission should be
continued in its work.
The treasury department, Mr. Taft
showed, looked after the nations fin
ances and the life saving service The
commission. he said, had recommend
ed the abolition of the revenue cutter
service, which would mean saving {
Of 81 900, 600 year.
The greatest economy and efficien-
cy and the benefits which may accrue |
from theSpresident's devoting his time
to the work which is most worth |
while, said the president, may De
assured only by treating all the dis
tinctly administrative officers in the
department at Washington and in the
field in the same way as inferior off
GERS have been treated. The time has
come when all these officers should
be placed in the classified service.
The time has also come when those
PiOFlSlOlS VI law WuiCu give W IH6S0
officers fixed term of years should
be repealed. So long as fixed term
of years is provided by law the ques-
ton of reappointment of an officer,
no matter how efficiently he may
have performed his duties, will in
evitably be raised periodically. So
long as appointments to these offices
must be confirmed by the senate, and
so long as appointments to them must
be made every four years, just so long
will it be impossible to provide a
force of employees with a reasonably
permanent tenure who are qualified
by reason of education and training
to do the best work"
Giving examples of excessive gov
ernment expenditure along certain
lines the president told congress that
in one department it cost $5.S4 per
thousand to handle incoming mail
and in another department $S440 per
thousand for handling outgoing mail,
one department expended $5.94 per
thousand; another $69.S9. Either one
department paid too much or the
other not enough, he said. In trav-
ell alone the government expends
about $12,000,000 a year. Definite
tests, he pointed out, have shown
that saving in this item alone of
little over half of one cent mile
probably could be effected.
Through the introduction of labor
saving machinery, through the elm
ination of unnecessary copy work, by
cutting down needless expense in the
distribution of public documents and
in many other ways could millions
be saved each year. sThe president
urged the adoption of the budget
system which would bring before
congress, the press and the people
of the country not only the proposed
expenditure of the government but
its revenue "The United States is
the only, great nation whose govern
ment is operated without a budget
he said. Later the president declar
ed he intends to send to congress .
plan for the retirement of civil ser