Norwich bulletin., 1912-01-18

Following are the recommendations of the president in relation to the re- port made to him by the commission on economy and efficiency:
 To the Senate and House of Repre-
 sentatives:
 submit for the information of the congress this report of progress made in the inquiry into the efficiency and economy of the methods of transact ing public business.
 Efficiency and economy in the gov ernment service have been demanded with increasing insistence for a gen eration. Real economy is the result of efficient organization. By perfectinG ;4he organization the same benefits may be obtained at less expense. A reduc- ton in the total of the annual appro- priations is not in itself proof of economy, since it is often accompanied by decrease in efficiency. The needs of the nation may demand large tn- crease of expenditure, yet to keep the total appropriations within the ex- pected revenue is necessary to the maintenance of public credit,
 Upon the president must rest large share of the responsibility for the de- xnaDds made upon the treasury for the current administration of the execu- tive branch of the government Upon the congress must rest responsibility Sor those grants Of public funds which gre made for other purposes.
 Reason Per the Inquiry.
 Recognizing my share of responsibn. lty for efficient and economical admin tstrAtiOn, I have endeavored during the past two years, with the assistance of heads of departments, to secure the best results As one of the means to 1his end I requested a grantsfrom con gress to make my efforts more efrec- tive.
 An appropriation of $1O0,OO0 was made June 26, 1910, ''to enable the president t5 inquire into the methods of transacting the public business of Ghe executive departments and other government establishments and to rec ommend to congress such legislation ns may be necessary to carry into ef- feet changes found to be desirable that cannot be accomplished by executive action alone" have been given this fund to enable me to take action and to make specifc recommendations with respect to the details of transsoting the business of an organization whose activities are almost as varied as those of the entire business world. The op- srations of the government affect the Interest of every person living within the jurisdiction of the United States, Its organization embraces stations and centers of work located in every city and in many local subdivisions of the country. Its gross expenditures amount to nearly S1,OO0,OOO, GOO annually. h. cluding the personnel of the military and naval establishments, more than 10000 persons are required to do the work imposed by law upon the execu. tVe branch of the government.
 Magnitude of the Task.
 This vast organization has never been studied in detRil as one piece of administrative mechanism. Never have the foundations been laid for a thorOugh- consideration of the relations of all of its parts. No comprehensive effort has been made to list its multi farious activities or to group them in Euch a way as to present a clear pic hure of what the government Is doing. Never has complete description been given of the agencies through which these activities are performed. At no time has tho attempt been made to study all of these activities and agen- cies with 6 view to the assignment of each activity to the agency best f1tbed flor its performance, to the avoidance of duplication of plant and work, to the intsgration of all administrative agencies of the government, so far as may be practicable, into a unified or Ranization for the most effective and economical dispatch of public busi- ness.
 First Complete ,InVsstIeatieH.
 Notwithstanding that voiuminous re- ports are compiled annually and pre- sented to the congress, no satisfactory statement has ever been published of the financial transactions of the eov. ernment as a whole. Provision is made for due accountability for all moneys coming into the hands of of- 6cers of the government, whether as collectors of revenue or disbursing agents, and for ii surfing that authori- nations for expenditures as made by Jaw shall not be exceaded. Hut no general system has ever been, devised for reporting and presenting infOyma- fion regarding the character of the expenditures nasdshin3 such. a way as to reveal the actual costs eneailed in the operation of ofindiTtduatrservices and 4n the performance of particular un- dertakings nor in suchsa' way aSs to make possible the exercise of tntalli. gent judgment regarding the discretion displayed in making expenditure and concerning the value of the results cb- tained when contrasted with the sacri- fees required. .,., 5, -s.Is
 I am convinced that results which are really worth while cannot be se- cured, or at least can be secured only in small part, through the prosecution at irreEulsr@iuteEgpk zof epecial in,