Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1912-01-18


economy and efficiency in the govern
ment service. The message In part Is as
follows:
To the Senate and House OF Representa-
tives:
I submit for the Information of the con-
gress this report OF progress made In the
inquiry into the efficiency and economy OF
the methods OF transacting public busi-
ness.
Efficiency and economy in the govern
ment service have been demanded with
increasing insistence for generation.
Real economy is the result of efficient or
ganization. BY perfecting the organiza-
ton the same benefits may be obtained
at less expense. A reduction in the TO-
tai OF the annual appropriations Is not
In itself a proof Of economy, since II is
often accompanied by decrease In efn-
cheney. The needs o. the nation may de-
mand a large increase OF expenditure, yet
to keep the total appropriation within
the expected revenue ID necessary TO the
maintenance OF public credit.
Upon the president must rest largo
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 Tor
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.
which I organized to aid me in the In
uuiry, has directed It's efforts primarily
10 the formulation OF concrete recomnien-
dations looking TO the betterment OF the
fundamental conditions under which Bov-
srnmertal operations must be carried on.
With q basis thus laid. II has proceeded
10 the prosecution of detailed studies of
individual services and classes OF work.
and OF 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 it's task II has divided
the work into Ave fields OF inquiry nav
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
,f reports The FIRST series deals with
the manner in which the services OF the
government should be grouped In depart.
ments. This Is matter OF fundamental
Importance 1t Is only after a satisfac-
tory solution Of this problem that many
important measures of reform become
possible.
The second and third series OF reports
seal. 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 Sc
ries is upon the revenue cutter service,
which costs the government over two and
half million dollars efch year! In the
opinion OF the commission Its varied ac-
tivities can be performed with equal. or
greater. advantage by other services.
The commission. therefore. recommends
that II be abolished 1t is estimated that
by so doing saving OF not less than $l.-
10000 year can be male,
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
similarly located admlnistratively. they
have many OF the same problems. II Is
estimated that consolids ton would result
In saving OF not less than $4,000 an
nually.
Abolition Of Local Offices.
Perhaps the part OF the organization In
which the greatest economy in public ex
penditure is possible s 10 be found in
the numerous local Off ,es OF the govern
ment In some instances the establish
ment and the discontinuance OF these To-
cal offices are matters OF administrative
discretion. In other Instances they are
established by permanent law in such
manner that their disron,inuance IS be-
yond the power OF the president or that
II any executive officer.
The responsibility for the maintenance
Of these conditions must naturally be di-
vided between the congress and the exc
cutive But that the executive has per-
formed his duty when he has called the
attention OF the congress 10 the matter
must also be admitted. Realizing my re-
spons.bility In the premises. | have d.
rected the commission to prepare q re-
port setting forth the positions In the
local services OF the government which
may be discontinued with advantage. the
saving which would result from such ac-
ton and the changes in law which are
necessary 10 carry into effect changes In
organization found TO be desirable. On
the coming In OF the report. such Offices
rs may be found useless and can he abol-
Ished win be ST. treated by executive or
der.
Classification of Local Officers.
In my recent message TO the congress
I urged consideration Of the necessity o!
placing In the classified service all OF the
local officers under the departments OF
the treasury the interior. postoffice and
commerce and labor.
The next step which must be taken is
TO require OF heads OF bureaus In the de-
partments at Washington. and OF most OF
the local officers under the departments
qualifications Of capacity similar TO those
now required OF certain heads OF bureaus
and OF local officers The extension OF
the merit system to these ofhcers and
needed readjustment OF salaries will have
important effects In securing greater
economy and efficiency.
In the first place. the possession by the
incumbents of these positions OF requisite
qualifications must in Itself promote eff
cheney.
In the second place the removal OF 10
cal officers from the realm OF paltica
patronage in many cases would reduce
the pay roll Of the field services AT th'
present time the incpmbents OF MANY o.
these positions leave the actual perform
ance Of many OF Their duties to deputie:
and assistants. The government Otter
pays two persons for doing work tha
could easily be done by one. What Is th'
loss 10 the government cannot be stated
hut that II is very large cannot be denied
In the third place. so long as local of
fcers are within the sphere OF po)iuca
patronage II is difficult to consider tn
question OF the establishment or discon
tinuance OF local offices apart from th'
effect upon local political situations:
Finally. the view thai these various
Offices are to be flied as result o
political considerations has for It's con
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