Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-28
SWEEPING CHANGE
URGED FOR HILL"
Economy and Efficiency Commits
sion Presents Numerous Sug-
gestiOns For Government
WILL BE MUCH STUDIED
Next Legislature Will Get the Re-
port and Will Decide What
to Do About 1t
WILL BE MUCH STUDIED

Governor John K. Tenef will trans
NIT to the Legislature, which meets a
Eweek from tomorrow, the report of
the State Economy and Efficiency
Commission, but the question of legis-
lation to carry into effect the sweep
| ing changes recommended by the COM
mission will be left to the incoming
administration. The report of the
commission offering plan for improv-
| ing the business methods of the Penn
sylvania State government, modern
lzlng many things, abolishing some de-
! !partments, consolidating others and
creating new ones, a multitude of sug-
| gestions, was made public by the Gov
ernor last night.
To carry into effect all of the
changes recommended by the commits
sion would require q couple of consti-
! tut1onal amendments, q couple dozens
| OF bllls and a general overhauling of
| the business system, some of which
would be highly beneficial. The re-
port, which is, of course, only sugges-
tive and does not authorize anything,
is the work of the Economy and Eff
cheney Commission, named as the re-
suit of the furry over dual office hold
| ing in the last session. 1t was voted
$4,000 to make a study of the whole
State governmental system, but the
|
600. Harry s. McDevitt, former as
sistant executive controller and statis-
tlcian of the State Board of Public
| Charities one of the best posted men
on Capitol affairs, was named as chair
man. Jacob Soffel, Pittsburgh, and
Henry ID. Jones, Montrose, eX-cashier
| Oh the State Treasury, were named
with him, but Mr.. Jones resigned be-
cause of pressure of other work, and
w. Fl. Fisher, Brownsville, succeeded
him. The work has been under way
for six months or more.
Legislature Not Touched
The report does not touch the Leg
islature or the judiciary, saying that
1t did not have time to so beyond the
legislative branch and that the General
Assembly methods can be studied dur
ing session. The Department of
| Internal Affairs, recommended to be
abolished in 1913. and the Insurance
Department, Just reorganiZed, the De-
partment of Labor and Industry, the
Fire Marshars office and some other
new offices are also passed by. The
Board of Public Charities is recog-
niZed for its work and recommended
tions for facilitating it are given.
what will interest Harrisburg peo-
| pie is the recommendation for civil
service on Capitol Hill with q retire
ment fund or pension system, the
! drafting of a whole new system of
| bookkeeping to be uniform for the
whole State government by the Bank
ing Commissioner, Auditor General
and State Treasurer; hours of Q to
with to 2 on Saturdays and whole
| Saturday holidays in July and August
land semimonthlN pay instead of
monthly, and to be paid direct by the
! state Treasurer, who is recommended
to be given two new clerks and in
| creases for some now in office
the commission recommends that
| the next session of the Legislature
make an appropriation for the imme-
diate erection of an office building
within the area known as Capitol
Park. The idea on the "Hill" is for
extension of the three wings toward
the extension area.
Aim of the Commission
In opening its recommendation the
report says:
ut is universally understood in the
business world that to commend abil-
ity, thereby bringing into business en-
terprises efficiency, it is necessary to
provide compensation commensurate
with the responsibilities and duties
imposed. This principle, however, is
not TO any great extent found in the
administration of State governments.
Well regulated business enterprises in
order to prevent waste and duplication
OF labor undergo process of 'reor-
ganiZation at least every decade
eliminating unnecessary divisions and
departments and centralizing and con-
solidating others. Such a system is
just as important, if not doubly i'm
portant, in the administration of the
affairs of a Commonwealth, the neces-
sty for which is emphasized because
of the establishment by the General
Assembly from time to time of new
departm boards and commissions.
With this thought in mind the COM
mission has recommended the consoli-
dation of certain branches Of the State
Government, the elimination of others
and the creation of new departments
with a view to putting State affairs
on a sound businesslike basis"
The Recommendations Are as Follows
Civil service is to secure efficiency
through continued employment.
Retirement of State employees on
half pay who have served twenty-five
years or who are over seventy years
of age and have served twenty years
or more. There are 5,152 positions on
the State payroll and the annual pay
ment is given as S3,613.4O9.44, being
divided as follows: Eleven hundred
and siXty-nine positions created by
statute, paying $2,000,560; 2,752 by
legislative appropriation, paying ST.
] 52, ,25S.90 and 1,232 created by con-
tingent funds, paying S430,59O.54.
State Board of Examiners, to take
place of all except medical board
bureau, to have authority to call in
experts and to conduct all examina-
tions.
All positions to be created by legis-
lative enactment: 8 to Office hours
for all departments; uniform ac-
counting and bookkeeping; semi
monthly pay; payment through treas
ury instead of departments an office
building in Capitol Park Extension
and branch post office and central
mailing and addressing Office in the
Capitol. All payments to institutions to
be made monthly instead of quarterly
is also suggested.
Change in the date of the Cover
nor's election so that a new adminis-
tration and a session of the General