The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-01-19
SEES BETTER AND.
CHEAPER SERVICE
President Submits an Economy
and Efficiency Message.
RESULTS OF INQUIRY TOLD
Special Commission Found EHtraVa-
CANT and Anticipated Methods In
Government Work and Many
Unnecessary Offices.

Warrington. President TAFT has
submitted to congress a special message
on economy and efficiency in the govern
ment service. ThS message in part IL a -
follows:
To the ssnate and House Of Represents
tiyes:
submit for the information OF the con-
ETess this report Of progress made In tho
inquiry into the efficiency and economy Of
the methods OF transaCting public bust
ness.
Efficiency and conomy in the govern
ment service nave been demanded with
increasing insistence for a generation.
Real economy Is the result OF efficient or
ganixation. By perfectlng the organiza-
ton tho Same benefits may be obtained
at less expense. A reduction In the to-
tai OF the annual appropriations is not
in itself q proof Of economy, since It is
often accompanied by a decrease in eff
cheney. The needs of the nation may de-
mand a large increase OF expenditure. yet
20 keep tho total appropriation within
the expected TeyoneU Ia necessary TO the
maintenance Of public credit.
Upon the president must rest q largo
share Of the responsibility for the do
mands made upon the treasury for the
current administration Of the executive
branch Of the government. Upon the
congress must rest responsibility for
Chose grants Of public funds which are
made for other purposes.
Reason for The inquiry.
Recognizing my share OF responsibility
Tor efficient and economical admlnistra-
ton, ! have endeavorcd during the past
two years, with the assistance Of heads
OF departments, TO secure the best re-
suits. As one OF the means to this end
I requested a grant from congress to
make my efforts moro effective.
An appropriation Of 100000 was made
June Is, 1910, to enable the president to
inquire into the methods Of tr~ansacttng
the public business OF thu executive de-
partments and other government estab-
liahments and TO recommend to congress
such legislation az may be necessary to
carry into effect changes found to be de-
Birabla that cannot be accomplished by
executive action alone. I have been given
this fund to enable me to take action
and to make specific recommendations
with respect to the details Of transacting
the business Of al organization whose &C
tivitIes are almost as varied as those Of
the entire business world. The opera
tons OF the government affect the inter
est OF every person living within the 1ur-
isdlction OF the United States. It's or
ganIzatI0n embraces stations and centers
OF work located In every city and In
many local subdivisions Of the country.
It's gross expenditures amount to nearly
1000, 10000 annually. Including the per-
EnnDn1 nF fha military md pnun1 apfuh.
lishments, more than 5000 persons are
required to do the work imposed by law
upon the executive branch of the govern
ment.
Plan Of tho Work.
In accordance with my instructions, thu
commission on economy and Efficiency
which l organized to aid me in the I'M
quiry, has directed its efforts primarilJ(
TO the formulation Of concrete recommend
datlons looking to tho betterment Of thb
fundamental conditions under which gov
ernmental operations must be carried or.
With a basis thus laid. 1t has proceeded
to the prosecution Of detailed studies 81
individual services and classes Of work,
md OF particular practices and methods,
pushing these studies as far and cover
ing as many points and services, as the
ltSpuINts hIA bllilb AZ us NlHpUhhl hHNe
permitted.
In approaching its task It has divided
the work into five 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 Heries deals with
the name In which tho services OF the
government should be grouped in depart
ments, This is a matter Of fundamental
Importance. It Is only after a Batisfac-
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 ae-
ries Is upon the revenue cutter aervice,
which costs the government over two and
a half million dollars each year. II the
opinion OF the commission its varier ac-
tivitles can be performed with equal, or
greater, advantage by other services.
The commission, therefore, rcconrlends
that It be abolished. It Is estimated that
by so doing d saving Of not less than ST.
CVo,0C0 a year can be made.
Another report illustrating tn. second
series recommends that the lighthouse
and life saving services be adnhistered
by a single bureau, instead of aE4t pres
ent by W bureaus located inb different
departments. These services h Ie much
in common. Geographically, fey are
similarly located; Enthusiastically, they
have many OF the same problems. 1t is
estimated that consolidation would result
in q saving OF not less than slOO,O 900 an
lually,
Abolition Of Local Offices.
Perhaps the part OF the organization In
which the greatest economy In public ex-
penditure is possible is to b found In