Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-01-12
Bureau methods 0FI.
ADJUTAN|1 GENERAL
Behind THE TINES
ceived In the office until the reply is

ceived in the office until the reply il
prepared.
Years Behind the Times.
Another statement is that the Office
methods are twenty-five years behint
the times. 1T is asserted that there
has been an insistent adherence
says the commission, ito an obsolete
method Of indorsing, recording, card
ing and cross.reference which has
stood In the way Of improving these
practices; that there has been a sla
wish adherence to a system and to
precedents established in previous
years, as a result of which there has
been built up in this Office one of the
most elaborate and expensive plants
Tor doing some very simple things that
Is to be found anywhere in the gov
eminent service: that new methods
have been resisted at every point, and
that in all its work and methods eX-
ccpt that related to the personnel
records Of the army, the adtutant gen
erals office is some twenty-five years
behind the times; that by adopting
an uptodate method for handling the
voiuminous correspondence Of the Of
flee alone, not less than a quarter of
a million dollars each year could be
saved.
| 1T was found after detailed inquiry
into the use of kilograms. that fire.
quently they were sent when letters
| would serve as we'll or even better;
that day kilograms are sent when night
rates could be obtained without affect
ing the efficiency OF the service; that
kilograms and cablegrams are sent in
e~Xtenso when by use of the establish
cd code Of the department the cost
would be very much reduced.
Waste Use of Floor Space.
"On the one hand many Offices are
widely scattered, while others are
wastcfuIly used. 1t was found that
scventy.six good Office rooms in the
State, War and Navy building were
used for the storing Of odl and inire-
Quently used records, while the per
%scnnel had been forced to occupy quar-
tors scattered In six different buildings
IN different parts Of the city.
In many instances the office quar-
tCrs are badly lighted, badly ventilat.
cd and are insanitary--in some in
stances a constant menace to the
health and personal, safety of employ
es, II building being sc unsafe as
to be a continuing menace to life, hav.
ing been condemned both by the build.
Ing authorities and the health author.
tiles of the District of Columbia.
Disregard Of Health.
A further example Of the utter dis.
regard of the health and welfare of
employees Is found in the results Of a
psychological examination Of the wa.
ter supply collected from the coolers
used in the Ford Theatre building. The
re port shows that seventeen tests have
| been made and that in eight of these
tests bacilli coli were found-in other
words, the germs that find their origin
in the human Intestinal tract. An
other fact which is significant is that
some Of the coolers from which water
was taken were found to be in a more
filthy condition than the waste cans.
neIoTTU NlVedOy oS9uV. .Ni
| With respect to the six offices in the
Department Of War reported on by the
commission, the Secretary Of War has
| stated in a written communication to
| tho President that he not only agrees
| with the commission in it's Essential
Recommendations" but that he has az.
pointed two bOards-7onc 20 carry out
The recommendations OF the commits
| SION with respect TO the methods OF
Handling and filing Of correspondence
in the several Offices as rapidly rs
practicable; the other to carry out the
Recommendations with respect to 9th
er matters which have been brought to
his attention. The Secretary also
states that in his opinion these reduc'
lions can be made without discharging
any competent employees, provided the
law is repealed which forbids details,
since the natural separations from the
service run from 7 to 10 per cent per
year: and it will take some time to
make the installation. The commits
sion says that conclusion is supported
|by the experience of the Treasury De-
pertinent where the forces have been
gradually rduced in the manner indi'
Gated. n
Endorsed by the Secretary. a.s.
Secretary of Wal Stimson fully in
dorses the conclusions OF the commits
sion. III a letter to the President he
states his views and plans on the sub
jeet in part, as follows: a.
"As will be disclosed by these re-
ports, the work of the commission has
been extremely thorough ard their in
vestigation cannot fail to be of i'm
mense benefit to the administration of
these bureaus of the War Department.
Their recommendations include not
only the substitution of new and su.
yperior systems Of administration for
methods that are less economical and
effective, but their investigation has
In some instances disclosed wasterul
and improyiden. details. Their inyes-
Itigation into the adjutart generals Of
fee in particular reveals that the meth.
DDS OF handling q large nart of the cor.