The Yale expositor., 1912-12-19
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-Men who have made
a study OF spending conditions In
the federal service believe and have
reported that more than $100, 100000
, year can be saved to the govern
ment II certain recommendations for
economy be observed, and the claim
Is that this saving can be made with
out IN any way Gripping the service.
1t Is probable that before the next
congress ends the entire system OF
making appropriations will be
changed, that many bureaus will be
consolidated and the supply bills cut
many millions of dollars, the money
saved to be used for extending the
useful services of the government to
fields not already covered.
When Theodore Roosevelt was pres
ident he appointed what was known
as the Keep commission" 1t was
the duty of Mr.. Keep and his col
leagues to study business methods In
vogue in the different departments
and to see how the work could be
shortened and yet be just as effective
as it was under existing conditions
Start Made On Economy.
When President Taft came into
Office one OF the first things he did
was to call his cabinet officers to-
gether to urge upon them the neces-
sity of economic administration.
Secretary MacVeagh was made the
chairman of cabinet committee
charged with the work of economic
administration. 1t was soon dis
covered that in single departments
of the government the different bur-
eaus purchased their supplies indie
different prices were paid for pre-
cisely the same article. One bureau
for instance would pay two or three
cents a dozen more for lead pencils
than another bureau was paying for
the same article of the same manufac-
ture.
A good many economies, small as
compared to the saving which 1t Is
lished, were made. 1t was a start,
however, for greater things. The
system which was in vogue in the
treasury department, or perhaps 1t
had better be called lack Of system,
was the same which held In nearly
every other department OF govern
ment. All the secretaries got busy
in the saving venture and there was
an economic squirt" all along the
line
Not long after the first initial econo-
mic venture President Taft appointed
commission on economy and efii-
cheney with Frederick A. Cleveland as
its chief. This commission has been
at work for more thon two years and
It has worked out an elaborate and
yet at the same time simple scheme
for saving Uncle Sam money.
Budget System Approved.
President Wilson has sane
toned the budget system OF appro-
priations which has been urged by
the present president and by the COM
mission on economy and efficiency.
budget system all the appropriations
asked for 60 to dozens OF committees
of congress. For instance, the naval
appropriation is acted on by several
different committees, each one TAX
ing part and no one of them know
ing Just what the other Is doing. The
result is a scattering of energies and
scattering of money. Under the
budget system all the appropriations
will be considered by the chairmen Of
different committees acting together.
They thus can get concrete knowledge
of the whole situation at once and
by intelligent direction can stop many
holes of waste
If the economy and efficiency COM
missions recommendations finally be
adopted by congress II is believed
that the agricultural interests OF the
country largely will be aided. There
are bills now in congress looking to
this very thing, but the cost is said
to be prohibitive because OF the pre-
sent extravagant methods. With a
saving of S100,O00.000 year, and
some Of the experts place 1t as high
as $300000,00 year. many OF the
helpful measures now under con-
sideration by the law makers can be
passed, the money will be forthcom.
ing, and the treasury will be just as
well off as II is now and the benefits
to the people will be multiplied. This
matter is going to be live issue In
congress from now on.
Postmasters Fear for Jobs.
Naturally the Democrats Of both
house and senate are looking ahead to
the glad time when they will come in
to full possession OF the administra-
ton in all its branches. The Demo
cratic leaders are nonplussed as to
what to do about the blanket civil
service executive order issued by
President Taft not long before the
election. the effect of which was to
put nearly 10000 postmasters of the
country on the civil service list. II
goes without saying perhaps that
nearly all OF these postmasters are
Republicans, many Of whom have held
Office for years and who unless the
executive order be set aside, will con-
tinue to draw their pay from Uncle