The Irish standard., 1915-01-16

nave to justify 1t to MIS- superior who
knows the work. If several branches
ask for increases the chief will know
which needs it most.
They will be brought together be-
fore the governor in cabinet council
where the department heads will JUS
tify their requests before one another.
The day the legislature opens these
estimates, as revised by cabinet dis
cussion, will be ready for considera.
ton.
Last year the three big appropria-
ton bills were brought in ten days
before the close of the session, put on
for special order four days later, rush
ed through both houses in one day.
And a supplementary bill appeared the
last legislative day, and was put
through under suspension of the rules
carrying $1,19O,OOO.
For all practical purposes, there was
no consideration of these bills by the
Legislature, no criticism and no debate.
Neither is there any accounting sys-
tenn by which the legislature can ana
lyze the appropriation bills.
The budget system accords with an
accounting method that will naturally
follow the new organization. The for
mer experience of each department
and each branch of the service will
be shown alongside the requests for
the next period.
What will it accomplish?
Efficiency is the obvious thing to ex-
pect as an organized government re-
places chaos.
Actual savings cannot be determined
in advance.
In the first place the only way to
find out how much can be saved is
to try it. AS one who sees a heap of
bricks heaped up loosely knows they
will take less room if neatly piled, but
he cannot say how much.
1t is plain that oil inspection and
boiler inspection will cost less if or
ganized on business lines than they
have when one inspector was allotted
to each county or district. The mere
lines of travel, if nothing else, would
account for difference in cost.
Cooperation is possibly in many
places which will naturally follow
from making one government in place
of sixty.
There can be shaking down in some
places, as where a separate depart
ment must have secretary and clerk
and stenographer, all needed, but none
of them fully occupied. Consolidation
of departments will enable the direc-
tors to bring about consolidation of
duties.
In the last session the committee
of public accounts figured up savings
to the amount of 100000 a year at
tairable by such devices.
But whatever can be saved in that
way is not circumstance to what
should be saved by intelligent ap-
preparation in place Of blind gdesses,
which under present conditions, the
legislature must make.
On one side there will be govern
ment organized on business lines in
place of series of governments with
out organization. That ought to imply
economy. Whether it results in econ
omy depends on the ability of the gov
ernor.
On the other side there will be in
telligible information laid before the
Legislature instead of scramble in the
dark for appropriations. That ought
to imply economy in appropriations.
Whether 1t results in economy de-
ponds on the character of the legisla-
ture.
This in brief is the plan of the ef-
fciency commission.
Will it be adopted?
! The answer, of course, will be deter
mined by public opinion. This much
ought to be said. In all departments
of state, whether the incumbents were
elected by the people, whether they
were survivals of former administra-
tions, or chosen by boards recently
created or by the present governor,
the officers have given this commits.
sion their best advice, their honest
suggestions and their active assist.
ance. They have acted in high sense
of civic duty. To large extent these
plans are recognized by the men now
in the service as the most appropriate
method of obtaining results in the
direction desired - economy and ef-
ficiency.
They have been discussed by nu.
merous commercial bodies and by bust.
ness men. They are the product of
consultation and criticism, not only of
this commission of thirty members, but
by as many as could be reached OF
those who constitute the public opin.
ion of the state.
Consultation with the public will be
continued. That Is the work in which
the commission is now specially en-
gagged. So that this plan, modified If
necessary, may be set before the next
legislature as that which by general