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

The efficiency COMMISSION pre-
liminary report, just off the press,
presents to the people a plan for
recognizing the state government.
It's final report. including a draft
Of appropriate measures, Twill be
submitted in time for consideration
at the next session of the legisla-
ture.
Three features are included in
the REORGANIZATION of admins
tration, the civil service system and
the budget system. All three are
essential to another. Reorganiza-
ton of the executive service will
bring about much better budget
system than otherwise be possible.
The budget system will enforce
economy on the reorganized depart
ments-the merit system will per-
NIT no possible misuse of the CEN
tralized power.
Reorganization of the govern
ment comes first. Instead of sixty
or seventy independent govern
ments. the commission proposes
one state administration. divided
into six great departments. As
ISOLATED with the governor i'll gen.
eral administration will be the at
torney general, as legal advisor for
all departments, the auditor as ac-
counting and auditing officer for
all departments, and the secretary
of state as general recording officer.
These are ministerial duties. The
executive duties are thrown into
six departments, each under a dir
ector.
Finance, of which the treasurer
will be ex-officio director.
Public Domain.
Public Welfare.
Education.
Labor and Commerce.
Agriculture.
In education board of directors
is provided for the state school sys-
tenn on one hand and the univer-
sity on the other. These two
boards will meet as an educational
council to discuss common prob
lens and the educational budget.
And when they have agreed on the
budget, they will pretty nearly
have agreed on all the activities to
be carried out under it. In that
way, while preserving the identity
of the university as the constitu-
ton requires, the whole state sys-
tenn of education will be unified
from the kindergarten to the post
graduate courses. For each of the
other departments there will be
single director.
All the things that are now done
by the state are to be done under
these departments and by approp-
riate units. The health depart
ment, the labor department, the
forestry department. the highway
department, the insurance depart
ment, the banking department, and
all the rest will stand up as dis
tinctly as now.
This is not plan to cut off heads,
but to head things up. Under this
plan cooperation would take the
place of confusion-unity would
appear in place of diversity. Only
executive boards are abolished.
They stand in the way of unity.
They were devised on purpose to
decentralize the administration.
Executive authority under this plan
is to be brought together and made
a unit. Non-executive boards will
remain. They have such duties as
those of the railroad and warehouse
commission to regulate rates and
service-such duties as those of the
minimum wage commission to de-
termine standard conditions-such
duties as those of the state board
of health to adopt police measures
they will in some cases make de-
cisions affecting personal rights as
court makes decisions, or adopt
ordinances as a legislative body
adopts ordinances. The executive
departments will carry out the or
ders and ordinances. Not less i'm
portant, these advisory boards will
keep the departments in touch with
public opinion in their advisory
capacity.
With such an organization the
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