Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1912-01-17

ne salu, could nardly De estimated.
The initial work." said President
Taft, has been well done. The in
quiry with its constructive measures
is well under way. The work should
now be presented with vigor and re-
ceive the financial support necessary
to make it effective during the next
fiscal year. Every economy which has
been or will be effected through
changes in organization or method
will inure to the benefit Of the govern
ment and of the people in increasing
measure through the years which fol.
low. | am convinced that results which
are really worth while can not be Sc
cured, or at least can be secured only
in small part, through the prosecution
at irregular intervals or special in
quiries bearing on particular services
or features OF administration. The ben
efits thus obtained must be but tenn
porary. The problem of good admins
tration is not one that can be solved
at one time. 1t is a continuously pres
ent one"
In many ways the president inform
ed congress a decrease in the cost Of
government might be assured There
is need, he said, of reorganization OF
the government departments; a con-
solidation and a wedding out OF bu-
reaus that overlap in their work;
scores of local offices" throughout the
country should be abolished and hun
dreds of political appointees who do
but little work should be taken off the
pay roll and there should be an i'm
Iprovement in the personnel OF govern
ment employees through the introduc-
ton of the civil service in practically
every field; business methods should
be employed by Uncle Sam just as big
corporations use them, modern sys-
tenn of accounting and reporting 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
finances and the life-saving service.
The commission, he said, had recon-
mended the abolition of the revenue
cutter service, which would mean
saving of $1,OOO,O0O year.
THE greatest economy and eff
icency and the benefits which may
accrue from the presidents devoting
his time to the work which is most
worth while" said the president, may
be assured only by treating all the
distinctly administrative officers in
the departments at Washington and
in the field in the same way as in
ferior officers have been treated. The
time has come when all these officers
should be placed in the classified serv-
ice. The time has also come when
those provisions of law which give to
those officers a fixed term OF years
should be repealed. So long as a fixed
term of years is provided by law the
question of reappointment of an Off
Ger. no matter how efficiently he may
have performed his duties, will newt
ably be raised periodically. So long
as appointments to these offices must
be confirmed by the senate, and so
Ions as appointments to them must be
made every four years, just as long
will it be impossible to provide force
of employees with a reasonably perma.
nent tenure who are qualified by rea-
son of education and training to do
the work"
Giving examples of excessive gov
eminent expenditure along certain
lines the president told congress that
in one department it cost 1884 per
thousand to handle incoming mail and
IN another department $S4.40 per thou
sand For handling outgoing mail one
department expended S594 per thou
sand; another $69S9. Either one de-
partment paid too much or the other
not enough, he said In travel alone
the government eXpends about S12,-
100000 a year. Definite tests, he point
ed out, have shown that saving in
this item alone of little over half of
one cent a mile probably could be
effected.
Through the introduction Of labor
saving machinery; through the elimi-
nation 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. The president urged
the adoption of the budget system"
which would bring before congress,
the press and the people of the coun-
try not only the proposed expendi-
lures of the government but its rev.
enue. The United States is the only
great nation whose government is OPP
Grated without budget" he said
Later the president declared, he in