The Washington times., 1915-12-20
WASTE IN TOO.
MUCH SAVING,
SAYS REDF|ELD.
Secretary, in FiuaI Report, As
serts Work Is Hampered by
Failure to Provide Funds.

Decla ring that three important Gov
ernment services are working expensive
~ 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 Redfeld. m the final section OF
hts report. made public today, urges the
construction of new Department OF
Commerce building, a separate building
for the Federal Trade Commission. and
more liberal expenditure where expendi-
ture Is needed.
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
be sd ceap the 5pne
ing of the facts to light Is certain to
lead to their correction"
Work Seriously Hampered.
In telling the needs Of a new building.
the Secretary says:
AN earnest request was made OF the
last Congress, both by the Federal
Trade Commission and the Department
Of Commerce, that the former lie al
lowed a sum for renting separate quar-
ters. This was denied. and 1t was re-
quired that the Federal Trade Commits
sion be accommodated within the
Commerce building. 1t was plainly
stated by mo 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 sauee ezing an additional force into
= space already restricted 1t has been
physically possible to confne temporarily
the force of the Federal Trade Commits
sion within the limits OF the Commerce
building. This required crowdinr en-
spector of the Public Health Service
had previously reported on inspection
Of the building that some rooms were
overcrowded.
work of the Bureau of the Census at n
time when tho census OF manufactures
was actively proceeding. to forbid to
several bureaus the normal expansion
OF space their growing work requires,
snd t. 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
rangemcnt is unsatisfactory. forcing
three important services 20 Wor,: eS
nensively and without prorer effective
ness.
"Congress sho1ld provide funds
promptly for the rental Of quarters for
the Federal Trade Commission in order
that the space it now occupies may be-
department. II this is not done It will
seriously ovcrcrowd the building will
bring about insanjtary crndition,: ir the
housing OF the employees both in the de-
Commission. and viii continu" to re-
strict and make more costly TIE 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 costliness of
what Is sometimeSRalled economy. Was
II economical to nave the Albatross lie
at the dock month after month. with her
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 S~lsiest 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
accurate knowledge of the work re-
ouired. 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-
ons picture presented by a 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 feeling is rather one of pity
Than of humor when subordinate en-
ploYc. obliged to travel in an expensive
portion OF the country. must nay a Dor
ton 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 e1uita-
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 il asked
1t is pointed out that but little
over IA per cent of the bureaus force
is receiving more than 81 200 a year
and that this compares poorly with
practically all other departments or
bureaus OF the Government. For his
reason. 1t is declared. the Census Blu
reau is but training school. EN-.
ployes leaving as soon as the oppor-