The Raymer enterprise., 1912-01-18
TAFT ON ECONOMY
AND EFFICIENCY
President Sends Another Special
Message to Congress.
PLANS FOR BETTER SERVICE
Results Of commIssIon's Inquiry Into
Methods Of Saving Money and
Getting Better Work From
Government Employees.

'oeohs Sau. ~. - fTeSl0enI
TAFT submitted to congress today an.
other message, this time on economy
and efficiency In the government sery.
ice.
The message In part Is as follows:
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 gener.
alton. Real economy Is the result Of
efficient organization. BY perfecting
the organization the same benefits
may be obtained at less expense. A
reduction In the total OF the annual
appropriations Is not In itself proof
OF economy. since It Is often accom-.
panied by a decrease In efficiency.
The needs OF the nation may demand
a large increase Of expenditure, yet To
Keep the total appropriations within
the expected revenue Is necessary to
the maintenance Of public credit.
Upon the president must rest
large share Of the responsibility for
the demands made upon the treasury
for the current administration OF the
executive branch Of the government
Upon the congress must rest responsi.
bility for those grants OF public funds
which are made for other purposes.
Reason for The inquiry.
Recognizing my share Of RESPONSE
bility for. efficient and economical ad.
ministrauon. l have endeavored dur.
Ing the past two years. with the as.
sistance OF heads Of departments, to
secure the best results. As one Of
the means to this end requested a
grant from congress to make my ef-
forts more effective.
An appropriation OF 100000 was
made June rs. 1910. ito enable the
president to inquire into the methods
Of transacting the public business OF
the executive departments and other
government establishments and to
recommend to congress such legisla.
ton as may be necessary to carry into
effect changes found to be desirable
that cannot be accomplished by execu.
tive action alone" have been given
this fund to enable me to take action
and to make specific recommendation
with respect to the details Of transact.
ing the business OF an organization
whose activities are almost as varied
ns those OF the entire business world.
The operations OF the government af.
feet the interest OF every person liv.
ing within the Jurisdiction OF the Unit
ed States. Its organization embraces
stations and centers OF work located
in every city and In many local sub
divisions OF the country. Its gross ex.
penditures amount to nearly $1,000.
100000 annually. Including the per.
sonnel OF the military and naval es.
Establishments. more than 100000 per.
sons are required TO do the work i'm.
posed by law upon the executive
branch OF the government
Plan Of the Work.
In accordance with my instructions,
the commission on economy and effi.
cheney. which organized to aid me
in the inquiry. has directed Its efforts
primarily to the formulation OF con.
crete recommendations looking to the
betterment OF the fundamental condi.
tions under which governmental op
erations must be carried on. With a
basis thus laid. It has proceeded to the
prosecution OF detailed studies OF in.
dividual services and classes OF work
and OF particular practices and meth.
DDS. pushing these studies as far. and
towering as many points and services.
as the resources and time at Its dis.
,posal have permitted.
! In approaching It's task n has d.
.vided the work into Ave fields Of in.
'Quiry having to do respectively with
organization personnel. business meth.
ods, accounting and reporting, and
the budget
Organization.
have stated that the congress, the
president. and the administrative on.
GERS are attempting to discharge the
duties with which they are intrusted
without full information as to the
agencies through which the work OF
the government Is being performed.
To provide more complete Information
on this point the commission has sub
imitted to me report on the organiza.
tion Of the government as It existed
July I. 1911. This report, which is
transmitted herewith. shows in great
detail. by means Of outlines. not only
the departments. commissions. bu.
'reaus and Offices through which the
government performs It's varied &C
,tivities. but also tho sections. shops,
field stations. etc. constituting the
subordinate divisions through which
tho work Is actually done. II shows
for the services at Washington each
lsuch flnal unit as q laboratory, library,
shop and Administrative subdivision:
and for the services outside Of Wash.
ington each station and point at which