The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-10-16
ECONOMY IN ADMINISTRATION.
Is Very Desirable for Vermont, Says
Burlington Free Press.

Is Very Desirable for Vermont, Say
Burlington Free Press.
Burlington and the whole state of Yer
mont are suffering from lack of central
ization in government and the absolute
independence of various departments, not
only from each other but also from any
central AUTHORITY No business concern
would think for a moment of letting one
branch of the business see how much il
could spend entirely independent of all
other branches of the business, yet that
is precisely what Burlington is doing
That is what the people of Vermont are
doing.
! In this city, for example, we have a
multiplicity of commissions, some OF
which are self -perpetuatng, while Others
are elected by the city council still 9th
ers, like the school commission, being
elected by the people. Law or custom or
both can be held responsible for the re-
moval of practically all authority from
the mayor so that he has little control
over the expenditure in any department.
yet when election comes we try to hold
him responsible for excessive expendl-
lures if there be such.
In our state government we are also
suffering from multiplicity of commits
sions and boards, who are duplicating
travelling and other expenses continually.
We have one board for the penal in
stitutions, another for the asylums, and
a third for the weak minded that could
be punched. We have a state fair com
mission, board Of agriculture, a separ-
ate cattle commissioner and SO on, whose
work should be consolidated. We have
state board of health, board of medi
cal registration board OF osteopathic
examiners, state board OF pharmacy, a
board of dental examiners, board of OPP
tometry, a board of registration OF nurses
and so on, the duplication of much OF
whose work and travel mean tremen-
dous expenditure OF money in the aggre-
gate for the taxpayers OF Vermont.
We have a separate commissioner for
this AMI that and separate commission
er for the other thing until practically
every community in the state has its
pensioners on the state treasury. In
some cases about the only explana ton
of this tremendous multiplication Of
boards and commissions and individual
and so on seems to have
been desire to make places to be filled
by ones friends. In other cases some
interest thinks it should have state
because some other interest |
has commission.
This abuse tending to multiply state /
expenses without limit, has become the /
anh ,f ,tyt1n IN, Nm
York, Massachusetts and other states /
As well as in Vermont
The platform of the Republican party I
in Massachusetts, contains a plank call
ng for the consolidation of commissions.
In Massachusetts this will mean the saw
ng of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We of Vermont have been wondering
why state expenses were continually in
,reasing in all directions, and in a host
If instances unaccountably. We create
departments and commissions, set them
roing, and, like clock, go off and leave
hem to run themselves. These commits
lions and boards, without reference to
he executive we hold responsible, or to
he state auditor we have created to help
lold expenditures in check, or to the
tate treasurer, begin to spend the states
unds right and left, and when we come
% the end of the year we taxpayers hold
up our hands in holy horror for a min
tie, and then go on and create more com
missions and multiply means of spending
'tate funds.
The worst feature of it all is that this
method of doing public business is not
,nly wasteful but it also breeds inefii-
'iency and vitiates our public service
The Republican party through its rep
esentatives in the recent state eonven-
ion paralleled action taken in other
tates and determined to adopt more
business like methods in the administra-
ion of our public affairs. One OF the
most important planks in the Vermont
republican platform is that pledging the
ext legislature, if controlled by the Re
mblicans, to the consolidation of com
nissioners and the elimination of some
f the abuses and the consequent ineffi
iencv that have crept into our state gov
rnment as a result of this system of do
NC business.
This consolidation of commissions is
lodged not only as counting for increased
fficiency but also for true economy.
which is simply another term for true
fficiency.
The American people are gradually
oming to realize that government is
merely the business of the whole people
ut in control Of men chosen for that
urpose, and that the business of the
should be managed on :
usiness principles. When one party or /,
ne man no longer conducts our public
fairs on sound business principles. We
ondemn even though our own party may
e involved That is why party lines
re constantly sresting more lightly upon
oters, and why we are demanding more
Intelligent service and more effective :
.ork and higher standards on the part
( our public servants.
There Is every reason to expect that
he Republican party, which Is respon-
ble for our state government owing !.
} its superiority in numbers. viii carry