The Washington times., 1915-12-20
WASTE IN TOO.
MUCH SAVING,
SAYS REDFIELD
Secretary, in Final Report; AS
serts Work Is Hampered by
Failure to Provide Funds.

Declaring that three important Gov
ernment services are working expensive
ly and without proper effectiveness, be-
cause of crowded conditions, and taking
Congress to task for false economy and
lack of foresight, Secretary of Com
merce Redfield, IN the final section OF
hts report, made public today, urges the
construction of a new Department OF
Commerce building, a separate building
for the Federal Trade Commission, and
more liberal expenditure where expendi-
The Secretary gives much attention to
false economy, which he says has
caused real waste of'public funds. He
concludes:
There is no criticism OF person or
persons in the discussion of these mat
ters. The effective administration OF
the public service, however, requires
that they be made clear, and the bring
ing Of the facts to light is certain to
lead to their correction"
Work Seriously Hampered.
In telling the needs of a new building,
thA Secretary says:
IAN earnest request was made Of the
last Congress, both by the Federal
Trade Commission and the Department
OF Commerce, that the former I've al
lowed q sum for renting separate quar-
ters. This was denied. and 1t was re-
quired that the Federal Trade Conlmis-
commeSce om eS aGSS%hSen bSiidins # %aS % plainly
stated by me to the proper committee
that this would result in seriously nam
pering both the work of the depart
ment and that of the commission. The
result then foreseen has followed.
by squeezing an additional force into
q space ALREADY restricted II has been
physically possible to conflne Temporarily
sion within the limits OF the Commerce
building. This required crowdinC en-
ployes in certain rooms, although an in
spector of the Public Health Service
had previously reported on inspection
OF the building that some rooms were
overcrowded.
''The result has been to hamper the
work of the Bureau Of the Census at a
time when tho census OF manufactures
was actively proceeding to forbid to
several bureaus the normal expansion
OF space their growing work requires,
end IT, provide the Federal Trade Com
mission with quarters insufficient FOR
its work and so scattered as to be in
effective in operation. The present ar
ran9emont is unsatisfactory forcing
pensively and without proper effective
ness.
Congress shoaId provide funds
promptly for the rental of quarters for
the Federal Trade Commission in order
that the space ii now OCCUPIES may be
made available for the employees of this
u. ]
seriously overcrowd the building, will
bring about insanjtary condition.: ir the
housing of the employees both in the de-
partment and in the Federal Trade
strict and make more costly the oper-
ations of both. Money supposed to be
saved in such a way is wasted"
Waste In False Economy.
The Secretary then takes this fling at
the wasteful practices OF false economy:
illustrations are not wanting in the
foregoing report of the costIiness OF
what is sometimesRalled economy. Was
II economical to nave the Albatross lie
at the dock month after month. with her
crew under full pay. for lack Of an APP
preparation sufficient to buy supplies
and coal? Was it economical to keep
in service such wrecks as the Mac
Arthur and the Gedney. only to replace
them when prices are high and when
vessels must be hired while the new
ones are building lest the work needed
for saving human life should stop? Is
there economy in stopping the reinspec-
tions of the Steamboat Inspection Serv-
Ice In the SOlsiest month of the year and
in giving instructions to supervising in
spectors to go about their districts as
little as possible because there is not
money enough for travelling expenses?
These and other things like them are
the results neither of economy nor or
w
quired. They mean only loss to the
country. and the people of the country
do not. In my judgment. want this sort
OF thing to go on.
80 also anyone familiar with real
economy must smile at the humor-
ous picture presented by COM
mercial agent collecting knowledge
around the world and then for
hidden, save" at his personal cost to
communicate that knowledge to a meet
ing of the men for whom he gathered
It. The feeing is rather, one of pity
than of humor when subordinate en-
ploye, obliged to travel in an expensive
portion of the country. must pay a Dor
uon of his travelling expenses out of
his own limited pocket because the law
so requires. Whatever the cause that
led to the latter restrictions. the reme-
dies sought by them are worse than the
diseases that they aim to cure, and the
injustice, wrought by them will con-
tinue to call for remedy until an equita-
bile treatment OF them is secured No
one intended that these absurdities of
the law should exist any more than they
intended that great Government depart
ments should have to discuss the color
Of bears"
A great increase in salaries for en-
ployes OF the Census Bureau is asked.
1t is pointed out that but a little
is receiving more than 81 200 a year.
and that this compares poorly with
practically all other departments or
bureaus OF the Government. For this
reason, 1t Is declared the Census Blu
reau is but training school EN-.
ployes leaving as soon as the oppor-
tunity presents itself.