The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-06-12


the legislature as state budget.
This means a substitution of meth
DDS for what is little better than
madness. 1t means careful con-
sideration of the expenditures as a
whole. 1t means study of relative
needs instead of guesswork. The
legislature will no longer be assail-
ed by Individual officers. It will
be in position to consider the
states expenditures as unit made
up of related parts. Haphazard
extravaganza will give place to sys-
tematic consideration of appropria-
tions.
AS to the merit system. There
may be discussion as to its scope
but there seems to be unanimous
agreement as to its necessity in the
main. Men who are doing good
work should have permanent posi-
tions as long as they continue to
make good. The commission be-
lieves that this should be carried
up to the heads of bureaus, and
that only the directors of the great
departments, the unpaid boards
and the officers elected by the peo-
pie should be wholly exempt from
scrutiny of the civil service COM
mission.
The aim is to combine permanent
expert service with popular control.
The work will be handled by an
expert bureau chief. The direc-
tors will supervise, coordinate,
prevent the state service from be-
coming bureaucratic, keep in touch
with the people. They will be the
agents of the people to control their
public servants, to tell those SER
wants what the people want.
This very briefly is the substance
of the commission S report. There
are more than two thousand de-
tails to be worked out. If the
principles are satisfactory, there
will be no great dispute over the
details. The commission is pre-
pared to distribute its report as
widely as possible and as long as
the supply holds out-you remem-
Der the commission has no funds
except what has been raised by
voluntary, subscription = copies
will be gladly furnished to any who
may write for them.
Of the six great departments pro-
posed by the efficiency commission,
the first is the department of
finance, including the treasury adj
ministration and few similar
duties. The second is the pro-
posed department of public domain,
which brings into one place the big
construction and engineering jobs
in which the state is concerned.
Third, is the proposed depart
ment of public welfare. This in
cludes, first of all, the institutions
formerly managed by separate
boards very loosely tied together
by the board of corrections and
charities. 1t was distinct step in
advance when the institutions were
brought together under the board
of control. The board of control
has systematized expenditures and
unified the administration. 1t has
kept inself out of partisan entangle-
ments. The institutions have been
we'll managed and the board has
always kept economy in view.
The efficiency commission does
not expect any great improvement
in the conduct of the institutions
by changing the form of organiza-
ton. It certainly does not look
for any unfavorable result from the
change. The plan of providing a
director with two capable assistants
preserves the virtues of the board
of control, accomplishes a central
lied responsibility and makes the
conduct of the institutions, through
the cabinet, part of the state adj
ministration instead of leaving it
off by itself. If the conduct of the
institutions has nothing to do with
the rest of the state, there is no
great objection to the present form.
If it is part of the states business,
you will hardly avoid the conclus-
ions reached by the efficiency COM
mission.
To keep it in touch with public