The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-18

come for the south to regain her as- tendency in affairs of the nation, and that it was gratifying to note that there was an Alabamian who was in every way fitted to bring the south back tc front ranks, her proper position.
 A number of bright five minute speeches were made, and committees were appointed to draw up set of resolutions indorsing MT. Underwood for President
 A plea was made by Fleetwood Rice urging every Alabamian who could possibly do so to attend the national convention at Baltimore
 w. D. Logan, a popular employe of the postoffice, was seriously injured last night when he fell down a flight of stairs, leading from the Eagles hall
 The 10-year-old son of Mir Tweet was injured yesterday afternoon by be- ing kicked several times by a mule He was playing alone in the yard and his cries attracted attention. Medical attention was secured and the injuries were found painful, but not necessar- fly fatal.
 The marriage of MT. Joseph A. Learey and Miss Nina Foster took place yes- terday morning at 12 o'clock at the home of the brides aunt, Mrs. B. II. Williams. on Queen City avenue, Rev. l.. O. Dawson officiating.
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 We want to save money to enable the government to go into some of the bene- fcial projects which we are debarred from taking up now because we cannot increase our expenditures. Projects af- fecting the public health new public works, and other beneficial activities of government can be furthered if we are able to- get a. dollar of value for every dollar of the governments money which we expend.
 Public Welfare Questions
 The principal governmental objects in which the people of the United States are interested include:
 The national defense; the protection of persons and property; the promotion of friendly relations and the protection of American interests abroad; the regula- ton of commerce and industry; the pro- motion of agriculture, fisheries, forestry and mining, the promotion of manufac- turig, commerce and banking; the pro- motion of transportation and communi- cation; the postal service including post al savings and parcels post the care for and utilization of the public domain; the promotion of education. art, science, and recreation; the promotion of the public health; the care and education of the Indians and other wards of the nation
 These are public questions in which I assume every citizen has a vital interest believe that every member of Congress as an official representative of the peo- pie, each editor, as non-official repre- of public opinion, each citizen, as q beneficiary of the trust imposed on officers of the government. should be able readily to ascertain how much has been spent for each of these purposes now much has been appropriated for the current year; how much the administra- lion Is asking for each of these purposes for the next fiscal year!
 Furthermore, each person interested should have laid before him a clear we'll digested statement showing in detail whether moneys appropriated have been spent and whether each di- vision or office has been efficiently run. This is the information which should be available each year in the form of bud get and in detail accounts and reports the budget
 Continuance of the Commission
 l ask the continuance of this Commits
 
 If the excellent beginning which has been made toward the reorganization of he machinery of this government on business principles. l ask it because it's work is entirely non-partisan in charac- ter and ought to apply to every citizen who wishes to give effectiveness to popu- ar government, in which we feel just pride. This work further comments it. self for the reason that the cost of or sanization has been carefully considered 1t every point. Threee months were -aken in consideration of plans before he inquiry was begun. six months were then spent in preliminary Investigations before the commission was organized: before March 3. 1911. when l asked for l continuation of the original approprl- alton for the current year, only $2O00 had been spent
 In organizing the commission my pur- pose was to obtain men eminently quail fled for this character of work, and it may be said that it was found to be extremely difficult to find persons hay ing such qualifications who would under take the task. Several of the members of the commission were induced to take up the work at a personal sacrifice; in fact. considering the temporary charac- ter of the inquiry, it may be said that no member of the commission was moved by salary considerations. Only the public character of the work has made it possible for the government to carry on such an inquiry except at a very much larger cost than has been Incurred
 It is a matter of public record that inc three largest insurance companies in New York, when under legislative in Vestigaton, spent more than SJ00.00o for expert services to assist the administrar tlon to put the business on a modern basis; but the economies the first year were more than ten fold the cost. l am informed that New York. Chicago. Bos- ton, St Louis, Cincinnati. Milwaukee. and other cities are prosecuting inaui- ries. the cost of which Is largely dispro- nortionate to the cost incurred by the federal government. Furthermore, these inquiries have the vigorous support and direct cooperation of citizen agencies which alone are spending not less than $900,000 per annum. and in several in- stances these combined agencies have been working not less than five years to put the cities on a business like basis. vet there is still much to be done.
 The reason for bringing these facts to your attention is to suggest the mag- uitude of the task. the time necessary to its accomplishment the professional skill which is essential to the successful hand ling of the work. the impossihility of carrying on such a work entirely with men who are at the same time engaged in the ordinary routine of administra- tion. While in the nature of things the establishment of orsanvs ton and meth ods should continue indefinitely in order to adapf a ereat institution to the busi.