The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-04-14
MANY Pee TORS
NO I nee S RY
Efficiency Commission Finds Parts
Of Better Government Puzzle Fit
Into Place Almost Automaticall
PUT ONE MAN N CHARGE
Suggest That Ten Men Could Better
do Work Than Those Now Appoint
ed AS Boiler Inspectors

do Work Than Those Now Appoint
ed AS Boiler Inspectors
st. Paul, April a 4 ~ Special to-
the Pioneer It is curious to notice
how some of the smaller problems of.
state admin istration settle them.
selves when a place is provided for
the larger problems. There is boil
ser inspection, for instance, which the
last legislature wrestled with unsuc-
cessfully
Boiler inspection as at present
conducted by the state Of Minnesota
lis subject to severe criticism. The
inspectors have no ascertained quail
fications. It has; been customary to.
appoint them on account Of services
to the political party that has ia.
vors to dispense. If the men so.
chosen have any knowledge of boil,
ers, so much the better. If they
don't know boiler from a stein, no.
body is the wiser. For the state.
never checks up their work to see.
what they are deing. Tney don't.
even report unless they feel like It..
To make it still stronger their du-.
ties are SO arranged that if they are
conscientiously performed the inspec-.
tor will often. lose money.
No Disclosure
This is no new disclosure. j. H..
Colwell, himself boiler inspector
urged before the last legislature a
reorganization Of the departm ent in
the interest of efficiency, but it got
nowhere. Since then the labor de-
partment has proposed a consolida-
ton duties that would get boiler in
spection done along with factory in
spection Sc
scheme of consoli dation is proposed
by the efficiency comm ission in con-
sultation with all the departments,
boiler inspection problems will pretty
we'll take care of themselves. In
stead of forty INSPECTORS, half q dos
en-, probably ten at the outside; can
take care of this branch of the SER
vice, and do a lot of other things be-
sides And if they cant do it better
than some of the gentlemen who get
to be boiler inspectors under exist
ing methods, the departments that is
responsible for them would perish of
NORTH icahion. They could at least
manage to report what they have
done.
Boiler inspectors are assigned to
senatorial districts, except where
there are several districts in com
ty, then one to the whole county. The
result has naturally been that the
governor consulted senators in ap-
pointing them and >the senator, not
having time to conduct a civil ser
vice examin nation, has recomm
|bomeOne who had been helpful to
him. If there was no senator within
the sound of the governors voice,
some other patriot has been consult
ed.
In like manner there has been one
oil inspector in each county. And
the nearest member OF the legisla-
ture or the leading statesman of that
county has been consulted as to his
selection.
Can you Imagine a wholesale house
organizing its statesmen that way?
Should Travel
The obvious organization OF in
spection districts is not along county
lines but along railroad lines. Boil
er inspectors should travel as food In
spectors do, or as weights and mea-
sures inspectors do. That simple
arrangement Of districts, without
any other change, would probably
cut down one half the number Of Oil
inspectors without any harm to the
service. NJ
Now when you put those things
into department that has them all
under the view OF one man-why OF
course, the parts of the puzzle fall
into their places almost a,ltomatical-
lily.
That is what the state is talking
about tbusinesslike arrangement
Of the government machinery.