The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1912-04-12

more than once III departmental Off
cialdom, How much do you pay your
shipping clerk?" Il pay him $4,000
a year. and he's worth it," Il get
(, l,SOO.' said the chief, simply.
Whatever practical efforts toward
greater efficiency the business man
was able to locate he noticed came
mostly from below, not from above
i'll the organization. The most ingen-
ious engineering to make the bets out
of gripping regulations, antique Gus
ton, and red tape came to his notice.
The spectacle of great government
obliged to hire the services of a
standard labor-saving machine and
operator outside, by the hour, because
there was no appropriation (also no
psychological moment to get one),
made the business man from New
York emit a shout of laughter which
was largely derision, but which also
began to contain a note of hurt pride
and National shame. The greatest
government on earth having piece
work outside in picayune way when
the machine was sorely needed all
the time-a machine such as large
firms in the country use daily!
Before he left Washington the bust
ness man had gone into the question
of departmental efficiency from A to
u, simply because he was keenly in
terested. He had advanced the idea
OF a general central purchasing bu-
reau, but unsuccessfully. The tale of
the technical department which de-
sired a special delicate instrument,
and how tee central bureau didn't
know enough about it to get one that
was satisfactory, was cited. and so
was the vastness Of the Govern
monts business argued as reason why
such a purchasing method could not
succeed. why" said his informer,
you could drop the whole billion
dollar Steel Corporation into one Of
Uncle Sans departments and lose
it."
But the business man could not be !
shaken. "Bigness is an unanswer-
able argument for, not against, a CEN
trail purchasing division. If | know
anything about running big bust |
ness, lay my finger on the real
trouble when | say that diplomacy. |
and tirmness, as we'll as
keen buying, is successfully possible
IN a central purchasing bureau for
any business, however tremendous.
It is practiced by the biggest bust
ncsscs of the country I've had pur.
chasing agents who were very good
at pleasing everybody, but couldn't
)uy right-werent business men. On
he other hand, I've had red-headed.
lncivil pieces of flint who could shade
Town a mser's last gasp bargain, but
who were knocked by everybody in
he organization. Neither were one
hundred per cent efficient purchasing
but that by no means dis
proved the practicability of the Gen.
raj purchasing plan which has so
proved itself for public
II the New York City government.
And then he literally fell upon the
eal heart of the situation-the gulf
between sheer politics and efficiency.
The more he thought about it, the
more he saw the seriousness of the
natter to the whole country. He saw O.,
he relation of the general hue and
ny against the crude, fumbling, and
POLITICAL footballing of serious eco
ionic interests by jockeying, unbusi- 7
iessIIke politicians to the administra-
ion of the routine labors of govern
1ent. He saw the fundamental fall '
acy of choosing Senators, Represent '
atlVeS, Presidents, Cabinets for sheer :
popularity or partisanship 1t rotted ,
he top of the heart out of good. eff ]
lcient work. The President might. ]
Ike his own erstWhile purchasing !
gent, be ''pleaser," but not good \
buyer whether of mems services |
)r directing great fundamental pub t
&c interest or of routine physical
good placator and sal
err, but a mighty poor executive. A
business machine. even G.
1ough it were known as a govern I
lent, was tittling around in futile S
ircles. like a headless fowl.
Give me one-half the number of
Secutives and the employees now in g,
oVernment departments" was the
lsiness mans parting challenge, e
md give me twO-thirds the present
and I will do the worl,
Kicker and better-by simply getting
BOD men, good help, and up-to-date I
opliances and systems, and then Civ =
g these good men authority and /
Cking. buf hold tbo,,, f5,t.@ .on,,14,9f