The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-01-18
Taft Tells Congress Results Of
Economy Inquiry.
SUBMITS SPECIAL MESSAGE
How Increased Efficiency In Govern.
ment Service at Lower Cost May
Be Obtained, According to
Special Commission.

fohowsi
To the Senate and House of Representa-
tives:
submit for tho Information OF the con-
Ersss this report OF progress made in the
inquiry into tho efficiency and economy OF
the methods OF transactlnE public busl-
ness
Efficiency and economy in the govern
ment service have been demanded with
increasing insistencO for n generation.
Real economy Is tho result Of efficient or
Ranization. BY pertecting tho organiZa-
ton tho same benefits may be obtained
at less expense A reduction in the to-
tai OF the annual appropriations IL not
In itself proof OF economy, since II IL
often accompanied by a decrease in eff
cheney. The needs OF tho nation may do
mand large increase OF expenditure, yet
to keep the total appropriation within
the expected revenue Is necessa., 20 the
maintenance OF public credit.
Upon the president must rest a large
share OF tho responsibility for the de-
mands made upon the treasury for the
current administration OF the executive
branch OF the government. Upon tho
congress must rest responsibility for
those grants OF public funds which are
made for other purposes.
Plan OF the Work.
In accordance with my instructions. the
commission on economy and efficiency
which | organized to aid me In the in
curry. has directed It's efforts primarily
20 the formulation OF concrete recommen-
dations looking 10 the betterment OF the
fundamental conditions under which gov
ernmental operations must he carried on
With a basis thus laid, II has proceeded
to the prosecution OF detailed studies Of
individual services and classes OF work.
and OF particular practices and methods
pushing these studies as far and cover
ing as many points and services, as the
resources and time ct its disposal have
permitted,
In approaching It's task Il has divided
the work into Ave fields OF inquiry hay
ing to do respectively with organization,
personnel. business methods. accounting
and reporting. and the budget.
Comprehensive Plan Of Organization.
On organization the commission has en-
tered upon the preparation OF three series
OF reports The first series deals with
the manner In which the gervices NJ the
government should be grouped in depart
ments. This Is r matter OF fundamental
importance Il Is only after satsfac-
tory solution OF this problem that many
important measures OF reform become
possible
The second and third series OF reports
deal. respectively. with the organization
and activities OF particular services. and
the form of organization for the perform
Ance OF particular business operations
One OF the reports OF the second Sc
riss Is upon the revenue cutter service.
which costs the government over two and
a half million dollars each year. In the
opinion OF tho commission its varied ac-
tivities can be performed with equal or
Tho commission. therefore. recommends
that II be abolished. II is estimated that
by so doing a saving OF not less than 81.
ooo. 900 year can be made
Another report illustrating the second
series recommends that the lighthouse
and life saving services be administered
by single bureau, instead OF as AZ pres
ent by two bureaus located in different
departments. These services have much
in common. Geographically. the are
similarly located; adninistratively. they
have many OF tho same problems. II 10
estimated that consolidation would result
in a saving of not less than 800. 900 an
nually.
Abolition Of Local Offices.
Perhaps the part OF the organization in
which the greatest economy In public ey-
penditurs Is possible Is TO be found in
the numerous local Offices Of the govern
ment. In some Instances the establish
ment and the dIscontinuance OF these To-
cal offices are matters OF administrative
discretion. In other instances they arc
established by permanent law in such a
manner that their discontinuance is be-
yond the power Of the president or that
OF any executive officer
The responsibility for the maintenance
OF these conditions must naturally be diN
vided between the congress and the exc
outive. But that the executive has per
formed his duty when he has called the
attention of the congress to the matter
must also be admitted. Realizing my re-
Bponslbility in the premises. l have d.
rected the commission to prepare re-
port setting forth the positions -iH-the
local services OF the government which
may be discontinued with advantage, the
saving which would result from such ac-
ton and the changes in law which arc
necessary to carry into effect changes In
organization found to be desirable. On
the coming in OF the report. such offices
as may be found uSeless and can be abol-
ished will DO SO treated by executive or
der.
Classification OF Local Officers.
In my recent message TO the congress
! urged consideration OF the necessity OF
placing in the classified service all OF the
local ofhcerD under the departments OF
the treasury. the interior. postotfics and
commerce and labor.
The next step which must be taken is
TO require OF heads OF bureaus In the de-
partments at Washington and of most OF
the local officers under the departments.
qualifications of capacity similar to those
now required of certain heads Of bureaus
and Of local officers. The extension OF
the merit system to these officers and a
needed readjustmeEt of salaries will have
important effects in securing greater
economy and efficiency.
In tho FIRST place. the possession by the
incumbents OF these positions of requisite
qualifications must In itself promote eff
cheney
In the second place the removal OF To-
cal officers from the realm OF political
patronage in many cases would reduce
the pay roll OF the field services. At the
present time the incumbents OF many OF
these positions leave the actual perform
ance OF many OF their duties to deputies
and assistants. The government often
pays two persons for doing work that
could easily be done by one. What is ths
loss to the government cannot be stated
but that II IL very large cannot be denied
In the third place, so long a. local Of
ficers are within the sphere OF political
patronage II IL difficult to consider thu
question of the establishment or discon'
tnuance of local Offices apart from ths
effect upon local political situations.
Y Finally, the view that these various
ysseces are to be flied a. result Of
,poI,ticai considerations has for fts con