Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-17

save $2,OOO,OOO a year, and being at
| FORMS should be continued by Congr
use press copies: others retain only
carbon copies.
Unnecessary Cost of Handling and
Filing Correspondence.
The reports also show not only a very
wide range in the methods Of doing this
comparatively simple part OF the govern
ment business, but an extraordinary
range in cost. For the handling OF In
coming mail the averages of cost by de-
! nartments vary from 1884 to $S4. 40 per
1000. For the handling of outgoing man
tha averages by departments vary from
s5.M to 5000 per 1000. This does not
include the cost of preparation. Out 70
confined merely to the physicae SUI ;ndi.
the work. The variation between hu!-
vidual offices is many times greater tnan
that shown for averages by departments.
II is at once evident either that 1t Is COST
ing some of the offices too little or tnaS otI
ers are being run at an unWarranteo eA
nense. Nor arc these variations explained
by differences in character. or WORK. Iol
ex ample, there are two uePdruuen.ss
which handle practically the same k'Hu
of business and in very large voluime.
1 "a
mail to one was found to be over SIX
times as great as the cost OF hanonns
incoming mail to the other Exciuulns
the cost of preparation, the aFeraSe cos.
per 1,0OO for outgoing mall 10 one was
nearly 30 per cent greater than that Tor
the other.
It has been found that differences OF
average cost by departments closely ioi-
low differences i'll method ana tnat tue
greatest cost is found In the department.
| h0A la most involved. An
other fact is of interest. VIZ, that III the
two departments above referred 10, WHIcn
show the lowest averages, orders nave
been issued which will lead to large saw
ing without impairing efficiency. 1t can
not be said what the saving ultimately
will be when the attention of officers IN
all Of the departments has been FOCUSED
on present methods with view 10 chahs-
ing them in such manner as 10 reu 'i.',
cost to the lowest point compatible with
efficient service. 1t, however. must De
considerable percentage OF nearly $oWO'-
goo, the total estimated cost or nanuihs
this part of the government business al
Washington.
Results have already been obtained
which are noteworthy. Mention has been
made Of the orders issued by two depart
ments OF these the order of one Is most
revolutionary In character since re
uuires fiat filing, where before all CORE
spondence was folded: the doing away
with letterpress copies, and the dlscon-
tinuance of Endorsements on slips, one OF
the most expensive processes and one
which in the other department mas Deen
carried to very great length.
Need for Labor-saving Office Devices.
The use Of labor-saving Office devices
in the service has been made the subject
of special inquiry. An impression pre-
walls that the government is not making
use Of mechanical devices for econo-
MIXING labor to the same extent as are
efficiently managed private enterprises. A
study has been made of the extent to
which devices Of this character are now
being employed In the several branches
OF the government and the opportunities
that exist for theft more general use.
IN order to secure information as to the
various kinds of labor-savins devices
that are in existence and as to their
adaptability to government work, an ex-
hibition of labor saving Office appliances
was held in Washington from July 8 to
To- 1911. One hundred and ten manufac-
turers and dealers participated, and more
than 10000 officers and employees visited
the exhibition. There is no doubt that
the exhibition served the purpose of
bringing to the attention OF omcers de-
vices which can. be employed by them
with advantage. Ihe holding of this ex-
hibition was, however. but step pre-
paratory to the contemplated investiga-
ton.
Unnecessary Cost Of Copy Work.
The efforts of the commission resulted
also in the adoption by several bureaus
, or departments of improved methods or
doing copying. The amount OF copy WORK
heretofore done by hand each year In the
many offices is estimated to aggregate
several hundred thousand dollars. The
commission exhibited at its offices ap-
planes that were thought 70 ov De es pc
work. Following these demonst rations
methods Of copying were introduced
which have brought about g. saving OF
over 70 per cent IN Gces i wn nne s nss
| cross section of Office practice VIII more
than offset the whole cost Of my inquiry.
| Waste in the Distribution Of Public
Documents.
| Going outside the ONCE. one Of the bust
ness processes which have been investi-
gated is the distribution Of departmental
documents. This is subject with which
botf, Congress and administration heads
are familiar. The prevailing practice In
handling departmental publications is to
| have them manufactured at the govern
ment printing office; each job wnen COM
pleted is delivered to the department;
/ here the DOCKS OF pdiHPiC . Wv "A1PPsu
and addressed: they are then sent to the
post office: there they are assorted and
prepared for shipment through the mails:
| from the post Office they are sent to the
railroad station. which Is only rev Steps
| from the government printing office.
whence they started. The result OF this
| laborious and circuitous method Is to
make the use Of the best mechanical
equipment fmpracticable and to waste
| each year not less than quarter OF a
million dollars of government funds In
useless handling. to say nothing of the in
direct loss due to lack of proper co-ordi-
nation.
Wasteful Use of Properties. and
| Equipment.
| The use of equipment is a matter which
also has been investigated. Up to the
present time this investigation has been In
the main confined to the subject OF cleo