Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-01-25

sequence the necessity that The presfoen
and members Of eongress deyote to mat
tiers OF patronage time which they shouk
devote to questions OF policy and ADMIN
lstTation.
Business Methods.
In every case where technical pro.
cesses have been studied II has been dem.
onstrated beyond question that large eco
Monies may be effected. The subject.
hrst approached were those which, lie
close TO each administrator, viz, office
practices. An Illustration Of the posi-
oihhes within this field may be found In
the results Of the inquiry into the meth.
DDS of handling and filing -orrespondenc
Every Office In the government has re-
ported its methods to the commission.
These reports brought to light the fact
that present methods were quite In ths
reverse of uniform. Some offices follow
the practice of briefng all correspon-
dence; some do not. Some have fat
files; others fold all papers before fling
Some use press copies; others retain only
carbon copies.
Need for Lavor-savIns Office Devices.
The use Of iabor-saving office devices in
the service has been made the subject Of
special inquiry. An impression prevails
LIZ 6obNA hAlCIl - nOL making use
or mechanical devices for economizing
labor to the same extent as are Sufficiently
managed private enterprises. A study
mas peen made OF the extent to which
devices OF this character are now being
employed In the several branches Of he
government and the opportunities that
exist for their more general use.
The EFFORTS Of the commission resulted
also In the adoption by several bureaus or
departments Of improved methods of do
Ing 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, APP
planes that were thought to be especial
~ adapted to this kind of government
work. Following these demonstrations
methods OF copying were introduced
which have brought about a saving Of
over 10 per cent. in offices where used
Tor six months. This change in one small
cross-section Of office practice will more
than offset the whole cost Of by inquiry.
Waste In the, Distribution of Public
Documents.
Going outside the office, one Of the
business processes which have been in
~vestigated is the distribution of depart
ment documents. This Is a subject with
which both the congress and adminis-
tration heads are familiar. The prevail
ing practice In handling departmental
publications Is to nave them manufac-,
tured at the government printing office.
each job when completed is delivered to
the department; here the books or pam
phlets are wrapped and addressed; the
are then sent to the postoffice; there they
are assorted and prepared for shipment
through the mails; from the postoffcet
they are sent to the railroad station.
which is only a few steps from the gov
m printing office, when they
started, The results of this laborious and
circuitous method is to make the use Of
the best mechanical equipment impractic-
aple ana to waste each year not less than
q quarter Of a million dollars of govern
ment funds in useless handling, to say
nothing of the indirect loss due to lack
of proper co-%ordination.
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
electric lighting.
Lack Of Specifications.
The Importance of establishing and
maintaining standard specifications Is
found not only in the possibility OF very
materially reducing the direct cost of gov
eminent trading, but also In insuring to
the service materials, supplies and equip
which are better adapted to is
purposes. One of the results Of indehn-
lteness OF specifications is to impose con-
tract conditions which make 1t extra ha-
for persons to enter into con-
tractual relations. This not only deprives
the government of the advantage Of
broad competition, but causes 1t to pay
an added margin in price to vendors who
must, carry the risk.
The Budget.
The United States is the only great ma
ion whose government Is operated with
1ut a budget. This fact seems to be more
striking when 1t Is considered. thai bud-
gets and budget procedures are the out
growth OF democratic doctrines and have
lad an important part in the development
II modern constitutional rights. The
commonwealth has suffered
much from responsibility on the part Of
is governing agencies. The constitution
purpose of a budget is to make gov
responsive to public opinion and
%esponsible for It's acts.
The Budget as an Annual Program.
A budget should be tho means for get
ing before the legislative branch, before
ne press, and before the people a definite
-nnual program of business to be finan-
1t should be in the nature Of a pros
'ectus both of revenues and expendi-
ures; 1t should comprehend every rela-
lon OF the government to the people.
fhether with reference to the raising of
evenues or the rendering OF service.
principal government objects in
'hich the people of the United States
re interested include:
The national defense; the protection of
ersons and property; the promotion OF
rtendly relations and the protection of
,merican interests abroad; the regulation
I commerce and industry; the promotion
I agriculture. fisheries, forestry and min
ig; the promotion of manufacturing.
ommerce, and banking; the promotion Of
n communication; the
ostal service, including postal savings
nd parcels post; the care for and utili-
alton of the public domain; the promo
on of education. art, science and recre-
ton; the promotion of the public health;
le care and education of the Indians
nd other wards of the nation.
These are pubic-welfare questions in
hich I assume every citizen has a vital
I believe that every member OF
as an official representative OF
le people, each editor, as a %non-ofdcial
preventative of public opinion, each
tizen, as a beneficiary Of the>t i'm
'eeu vh olIceEs OF the government,
iould be able readily to ascertain how
UGH has been spent for each Of these
lrposes; how much has been appropri-
ed for the current year; how much the
ADMINISTRATION is asking for each of these
lrposes for the next fiscal year.
Furthermore, each person Interested
lould have laid before him a clear. we'll
gested statement showing In detail
moneys appropriated have been
;onomically spent and whether each d.
sion or office has been efficiently run.
is the information which should be
yailable each year in the form Of a
idget and In detail accounts and reports
Ipporting the budget.
| ask the continuance Of this commits
on economy and efficiency because
the excellent beginning which has been
ade toward the reorganization Of the
achinery Of this government on bust
principles. ask 1t because its work
AnftraIxy rAA A@.kt,.- D.. NLE