Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-01-25
Gan CUT EXPENSES
Taft Tells Congress Results of
Economy inquiry.
B NJ SPECIAL MESSAGE
How Increased Efficiency In Govern
nent Service at Lower Cost May
Be Obtained, According to
Special Commission.

washington.-Presiden TAFT has sub
mitted to congress- special messares-o
economy and efficiency in the govern
ment service. The message in part In a.
follows:
To the Senate and House of Representa-
tives:
submit for the information Of the con,
gress this report Of progress made in tn,
Inquiry into the efficiency and economy Of
the methods Of transacting public bust
ness.
Efficiency and economy in the govern.
ment service have been demanded with
increasing insistence for a generation
Heal economy Is the result of efficient or
ganization. BY perfecting the organixa-
ton the same benefits may be obtained
at less expense. A reduction in the to-
tai or the annual appropriations Is not
In Itself a proof Of economy, since It is
OFTEN accompanied by q decrease in eff
cheney. The needs of the nation may de-
mand a large increase Of expenditure, yet
to keep the total appropriation within
the expected revenue Is necessary to the
maintenance of public credit.
Upon the president must rest a large
share of the responsibility for the de-
mands made upon the treasury for the
current administration Of the executive
branch of the government. Upon the
congress must rest responsibility for
those grants of public funds which are
made for other purposes.
Plan OF the Work.
In accordance with my Instructions. the
commission On economy and efficiency.
winch organized to aid me in the in
curry, has directed its efforts primarily
TO the formulation of concrete
cations looking to the betterment of the
fundamental conditions under which gov
ernmental operations must be carried on.
With q basis thus laid, It has proceeded
TO the prosecution of detailed studies of
Individual services and classes of work.
and or particular practices and methods,
pushing these studies as far and cover
ing as many points and Services, as the
resources and time at its disposal have
permitted.
In approaching Its task It has divided
the work Into five fields Of inquiry hav-
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 series deals with
the manner in which the services of the
government should be grouped in depart
ments. This is a matter Of fundamental
Importance. 1t is only after a satisfac-
tory solution of this problem that many
measures of reform become
possible.
The second n third series of reports
deal, respectively, with the organization
and activities ~ narfio,,Io, -
the form of organization for the perform
ance Of particular business operations.
One Of the reports Of the second sc.
rles is upon the revenue cutter service.
which costs the government over two and
a half million dollars each year. In the
opinion OF the commission its varied ac-
tlvitles can be performed with equal, or
greater. advantage by bther services.
The commission. therefore,
that 1t be abolished. 1t is estimated that
by SO doing a saving of not less than ST.
OoO a year can be made.
Another report Illustrating the second
series recommends that the lighthouse
and life saving services be administered
by a single bureau, instead of as at pres
ent by two bureaus located in different
departments. These services have much
In common. Geographically, the are
located; Enthusiastically, they
have many of the same problems. It is
estimated that consolidation would result
in a saving of not less than 500, 900 an
Abolition Of Local Offices.
Perhaps the part Of the organization in
which the greatest economy in public ex-
penditure Is possible Is to be found in
he numerous local offices of the govern
nent. In some instances the establish
nent and the discontinuance of these To-
,al offices are matters Of administrative
In other instances they are
established by permanent law in such a
that their dlscontinuance is be-
yond the powerSof the president or that
# any executive officer.
The responsibility for the maintenance
II these conditions must naturally be .di-
'lded etween the congress and the exc.
'utlve. But that the executive has per
'ormed his duty when he has called the
Intention or the congress to the matter
must also be admitted. Realizing my re-
possibility in the premises, I nave d.
'eeted the commission to prepare a re-
'ort setting forth the positions In the
ocal services Of the government which
nay be discontinued with advantage, the
aving which would result from such &C
Ion and the changes in law which are
necessary to carry into effect changes in
organization found to be desirable. On
he coming in Of the report, such offices
may be found useless and can be abol-
shed will be SO treated by executive or,
Ter.
Classification Of Local Officers.
In my recent message to the congress
urged consideration of the necessity Of
lacing In the classified service all of the
peal officers under the departments of
he treasury, the interior, postofice and
and labor.
The next step which must be taken is
0 require of heads of bureaus in the de-
at Washington. and of most of
he local officers under the departments,
Publications of capacity similar to those
ow required of certain heads Of bureaus
OF local officers. The extension Of
ne merit system to these officers and a
eeded readjustment Of salaries will nave
effects in securing greater
economy and efficiency.
In the first place, the possession by the |
icumbents of these positions Of requisite
Publications must in itself promote eff
In the second place. the removal Of To-
al officers from the realm OF political
In many cases would reduce !
le pay roll Of the field services. At the !
resent time the incumbents Of many of
iese positions leave the actual perform
nee Of many Of their duties to deputies
assistants. The government often
avs W persons for doing work this :
'uld easily be done by one. What is. the I
Oss to the government cannot be stated, {
ut that 1t is very large cannot be denied. {
In the third place. SO long as local Of 1
GERS are within the sphere of political
1t Is difficult to consider the
lestion of the establishment or discon- I
nuance OF local offices apart from the
feet upon local political situations. t
Finally, the view that these various I
are to be filed as a result Of s