New-York tribune., 1912-01-18
-
Recommends That All Administrative Officers
Be Placed Under Civil Service Rules and
Removed from Political influence
WOULD USE PRUNING KNIFE
Saws Useless Offices Should Be Abolished and Govern
ment Should Employ Business Methods of Great
Corporations Wants Economy
Commission Continued

: missions, bureaus and Offices through which
, the government performs it's varied actyi-
] utS nut also the sections. shops. field sta
tons. "tc- constituting the subordinate di-
/ visions through which the work is actually
/ done. II shows for the services at Wash
| inEl'h ed,h such final Unit a. a la bora OIy, d,
! library, shop and administrative subdivis-
ION ana Tor the services outside OF Wash
IHEi"n each station ana point al which any
aNnFilN oi the government Is carried on
FROM these outlines il is possible to de-
Z telh'lhe not only how each deIartment,
nuIS"G ana operating unit. such as nav
!dIu' Is oISani2ed but also, bN classifying
,ntSe UNITS by character and geographical
I I"cdloil, the number OF units Of q like
vldrdCter mat exist at Washington and
lnC number and character of services OF
the government in each city or other poiut
IN IN" United States With this infurma-
ll'h available. IT Is possible 10 study any
p".Ii'uar activity or the problem of main
'aihlHR services al any given city or point.
Information Of this character has never
! before been available. Administrative off
/ viaiS nave been called upon 10 discharge
/ ,.ltir duueS without that iull knowledge OF
the machinery under their direction which
| Is so necessary to the exercise Of effective
| CohNo. much less have they had infOrna-
! llon regarding agencies IN other services
/ tnai might he made use Of Under such
/ circumstances each service * compelled TO
I rely upon Itself, 10 build up it's own or
SANITATION and 10 provide its own facilities
rtEdruleSS or those in existence ClseU here
rms outline has been prepared on tho
loose ca system. so that IL il posSihle TO
| Keep II revised 10 date at little or no eX-
2g'.St. ~ ne outline thus constitutes work
oi permanent value.
Comprehensive Plan OF ORGANIZATION.
Win his outline as basis. the COM
mf STU ,Itn mas entered upon the preparation
o' lnre" series Of reports The fret s.rios
( deals with the manner i'm which ,be scr
wees Of the government should ho g-rn,Inal
~, ,,, 20 htS IIIthtS This is matter OF funda-
=. ''aI 'H'po't tahc'. II Is only after a sati,-
td'lOfN solution Of this problem that many
/ important measures OF reform becomo nos
SIO.g, only by grouping services according
~ wv, character can substantial progress
ut EIdue ~ eliminating duplication of Worl,
80, i,,.aiI, an" proper working relations Ice
| tSia, hShcd between services engaged in
N,Il'laF a'llNltieS. Intil the head OF a de-
idItment IS called upon TO deal eXcIusiveIy
I with matters falling in brf an, or = 49,.
Z i"W HlSiinci fields effective eupeIvisiro
anu anu control are impossible. As long as the
,",l' I'pSI 'h'ht embraces services so dI-
N'iS' IN character aS those OF lIf.caNiu.y
ana the management Of public finances
| standardization Of accounting methods and
", plIe' business practices is exceedingly
ditirHf OF attainment
So dependent ar, other reforms ,r,, fla.
L."t'I grouping Of services that / have i'm
Nl'Ht'u lI' commission To iDdira'. in j. 81.
teporl me changes which should be made
'H ,'' ensuing organization and 10 prorc.E
I'm Inc same way a 8 would farseelng arcbi-
..> o. engineers IN planning tor In, iry.-
poi,ovelncnt and development 81 goat c,..
MY C"SlTe Is TO SoCur, and O., f.,rrisr e.,
Inc congress scheme Of orra nizsfio,, Tho,
Cd., '' used as basis Of discus sior ami
action for wears to come
IN the past services have been created
one DN one as eNigencies hay. gce,,,d :,
demand, with little or no reference 10 any
sthein" or organization OF the goye-pr,crt
a. Whole. ! am convinced that the time
.aI ..dS Soihs Wnen the government should
taKe STOCK OF all IT. activities and ageucieg
ana formulate a comprehensive pIan Win
reIereHce 10 which future changes NAV be
being ,renorn me rf'ort or The commission Is
When completed IL will he fransulttcJ 90
the Congress. The recommendations viii
De o, such character that they can be
acJ'd upon one by one II thcv commend
/ themselves 10 the Congress and as action
IN regard 10 any one oi them is deemed
to be urgent
Reports on Particular Services.
The second and third series or repor,s
deal respectively, with the organization
ana activities Of particular services and
inc form OF organization for tho perform
ance OF particular business operations
one OF the reports OF the second series
( Is upon the revenue cutter service which
! costs IN" government over tjyJUu0 each
l year. In the opinion Of the commission its
varied activities can be performed with
equal or greater, advantag. by other ser
/ vices. The commission. therefore recon-
rnends mat IL b. abolished II is estimated
/ mat by so doing saving Of not less than
! SIvOpp year can be made
/ Another report Illustrating the second
series recommends that the Lighthouse a nd
/ iifesavlng services be administered by a
/ single bureau instead Of. as at present by
/ two bureaus located IN different depsrt-
/ ments. These services have much in com
J mon Geot 'aDnically, they are similarly To-
/ Gated, adntinistratively they have many of
/ the same problems. II is estimated that
] consultation would result IN saving Of
/ not less than 10000 annually.
: In third report the commission has
/ recommended the abolition OF the returns
Z Office Of the Department OF the Interior.
/ This action, in It's opinion. will cause no
/ loss in service 10 the public and will result
! in a direct saving Of not less than Is 900
4 "A year, in addition TO a large indirect econ
Omy In the reduction OF work to be per
formed in the several offices
T I'm another report the commission mas
. recommended the consolidation Of the six
. ClusiOn in the auditing system OF the seven
naval officers who now audit customs aC-
| counts at the principal ports. The changes
recommended VIII improve in many ways
I the auditing Of public accounts and Will
/ result i'm an immediate saving Of al least
/ S13j 900 annually.
/ third series Of reports is being prepared
on those branches Of the organization
/ which are technical In character and
I which exist for the service OF the govern
] ment as a whole--branches which have "a
do with such matters as public printing
[ heating. lighting. the making OF repairs
! the providing Of transportation and the
I compilation OF statistics where mechanical
/ equipment Is essential.
} Abolition Of Local Offices.