The Washington times., 1912-01-17

customs accounts at the principal ports.
The changes recommended Will improve
in many ways the auditing OF public ac-
counts and will result in an immediate
saving Of at least $685. 900 annually.
Technical Services.
A third series of reports Is being
prepared on those branches of the Or
ganization which are technical in char
acter and which exist for the service
of the Government as a whole-branches
which have to do with such matters as
public printing, heating, lighting, the
making of repairs, the providing Of
transportation, and the compilation of
statistics where mechanical equipment
is essential.
Abolition of Local Offices.
Perhaps the part of the organization
in which the greatest economy in pub
lie expenditure Is possible is to be found
In the numerous local offices of the
Government. In some instances the
establishment and the discontinuance
OF these local offices are matters OF
administrative discretion. In other
instances they are established by per-
manent law in such a manner that
their discontinuance Is beyond the
power of the President or that Of any
executive officer. In a number of
services these laws were passed nearly
a century ago. Changes in economic
conditions have taken place which have
had the effect of rendering certain Of
fces not only useless but even worse
than useless in that their very exist
ence needlessly swells expenditures and
compIicates the administrative system.
The attention of the Congress has
been called repeatedly to these condi-
has approved recommendations for the
abolition of useless positions. In other
cases not only do the recommendations
of the Executive that useless positions
be abolished remain unheeded. but laws
are passed to establish new offices at
places where they are not needed.
The responsibility for the maintenance
Of these conditions must naturally bo
divided between the Congress and the
Executive: But that the Executive has
the attention Of the Congress to the
matter must also be admitted. Realiz-'
ing my responsibility in the premises. /
have directed the commission TO pro-
in the local services of the Government
which may be discontinued with ad-
vantage, the saving which would re-
suit from such action and the changes
into effect changes IT. organization
found to be desirable. On the coming
in Of the report, such Offices as may be
found useless and can be abolished will
be SO treated by Executive order.
Personnel.
In my recent message to the Con-
gress I urged consideration of the ne
cessity of placing in the classified serv-
ice all CT the local officers under the
Departments OF the Treasury, the Inte-
rior, Postoffice. and Commerce and
Labor.
The importance Of the existence of
competent and reasonably permanent
civil service was not appreciated until
the last quarter of the last century.
tuted as a means Of ascertainfng
whether candidates for appointment
possessed the requisite qualifications
for Government positions. Since then
1t has come to be universally admitted
nate position in the public service
should be dependent upon the proof in
some appropriate way of the ability Of
the appointee.
AS vet, however. little IL any attempt
has been made by law to secure, either
for the higher administrative positions
in the service at washington or for
local offices, the qualifications which the
II the business Of the Government Is to
be conducted in the most efficient and
economical manner. Furthermore, in
the case of many Of the local officers
the law positively provides that the
term of office shall be Of four years
duration.
The next step which must be taken is
to require Of heads Of bureaus IN the
most OF the local officers under the
departments. qualifications of capacity
similar to those now required of GER
tain heads of bureaus and Of local Of
ficers: The extension of the merit sys-
tenn to these officers and g needed re-
| adjustment of salaries will have i'm
portant effects in securing greater econ
| omy and efficiency.
In the first place, the possession by
the requisite qualifications must In It.
| self promote efficiency.
In the second place. the removal OF
local offices from the realm of political
patronage In many cases would reduce
the paw roll of the field services. At the
present time the )ncumbents Of many
of these positions leave the actual
performance Of many OF their duties to
deputies and assistants. The Govern
ment often pays two persons for doing
work that could easily be done by one
What is the loss to the Government can.
not be stated. but that 1t Is very large
cannot be denied. when It is remem'
GERS in the postal. customs. internal
| revenue. public lands, and other field
services OF the Government.
In the third place, so long as loca
officers are within the sphere of politi
| cal patronage it is difficult to consider
| the question OF the establishment OF
discontiruance Of local Offices apar
from, the effect upon local political situa
tions.
| Finally. the view that these variou.
officcs are to be filled as result of po
litical considerations has for Its con
| sequence the necessity that the Presi
dent and member of Congress devot'
| to ma tiers of patronage time which they
should devote to questions OF policy ant
| administration.
| The greatest economy and efnciency
and the benefits which may accrue from
the Presidents devotlng his time to tn
work which Is most worth while. ma!
be assured only by treating all the dis
tinctiy administrative officers in tn
departments at Washington and in tn
field in the same way as inferior officer
have been treated. The time has COM
when all these officers should be PLACED
| In the classified service. The time ha
| also come when those provisions of Law
| which give TO these officers fixed tern
of wears should be repealed. So long a
a fixed term Is provided by law tn
| question of reappolntment of an Of
i hcer, no matter now efficiently he MAJ
have performed his duties. will 'nsvit