The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-11-08
DOINCS AT STATE CAPITAL

Apart from the issue involved in the
{ great war, the most important problem
confronting the American people is that
of efficiency and economy In the admin
istration of public affairs. Students Of
government everywhere have come to
the conclusion hi the defects are in
herent in the system rather than in the
characters Of the American electorate
1t is generally conceded that the aver
age American is as honest as the aver
age citizen of any country In the world
and Is quite as efficient in administer
ing affairs either public or private but
that under our present system or checks
and balances responsibility Is not defin-
itely located. Everybody has drifted into
the belief that funds belong to those
who can get them.
1t is generally CONCEDED that 1t costs
q great deal more to accomplish a given
amount Of work than the worst manag-
ed private business. This is bound TO
be the fact under our present system
no matter how efficient and honest pub
lie officials may be.
This excessive cost is in the main que
to the overlapping and duplication OF
public departments. AS a concrete ex-
ample, the equalization of assessed val
ues and the assessment OF public utlli-
ties are administered on behalf or the
state government Of North Dakota by
three distinct bodies. The TAX Com
mission has certain powers and dutles'
the state board Of equalization has GER
tain powers and duties and the state
Auditor has certain powers and duties.
Records are kept in the auditors ONCE
that should be kept in the offices OF the
Tax Commission and duties are imposed
upon the state board Of Equalization
which should belong to the TAX COM
mission. In other words, the leslsla-
ture created a Tax department put lelt
a portion Of the duties necessary to the
administration of the tax affairs OF the
state in the hands of the Auditor ana
the State Board of Equalization.
Department after department Is Gre
ated by legislative Whlcn oV-
er-lap and duplicate to the great con-
fusion of public affairs and to the USE
less waste Of public funds. The Mill
nesota efficiency and economy commas
sion discovered many ludicrous innings
in connection with this duplication or
duties. For instance, the state hotel
inspector notified the proprietor OF "a GER
tain hotel that he must put new hoors
in his building. Then along came the
state fire marshal and orders nm 10 pun
the building down and the hotel pfoprl-
,etor wrote the attorney general TO ols-
cover which he should do first, put IN
the new floors or tear the building down.
What is true of the affairs OF state IS
equally true of the local SUBDIVISION
of government. Officials. boards, COM
mission overlap and duplicate in their
endeavor to administer the affairs or the
people. ,
MANY states have given serious study
to his problem. Among the states that
have appointed efficiency and economy
commissions are California. Illinois. To-
wa, Louisiana. Massachusetts, Mlssi-
ssippi, Nebraska, New Jersey New YORK.
Ohio, PENNSYLVANIA. South k ana
Wisconsin. A study Of the reports OF
these commissions leads one to the con-
.c1,sion that public sentiment Is pretty
generally fixed upon a simplified CABINET
system of administering public affairs.
The usual recommendations are Tor a
cabinet of from seven to nine MEMBERS
the Governor and Attorney General, De-
ing elected, and the other members ap-
po,nted by the Governor by and with the
consent of the legislative department.
this cabinet to act as the advisors OF
the government and the political heads
Of the various departments. They also
recommend a civil service program with
the bureau chiefs in charge of the de-
partment. under the political heao
amendable to the civil service rules.
This gives ~permanency and efficiency to
Al~n loro tpoant while the cabinet ChlCI
keeps the department in touch with the
public through the election of the Gov
ernor or the other members of the cab
met.
There is a general feeling that a uni
able to the present bi-cameral arrange
ment-a one bodied legislative branch
would be more simple. efficient and res
ponsible to the popular will. A COM
paratively small body would be prefer
able to a large body.
Illinois has the most efficient economy
commission and a large number OF their
recommendations were enacted into law
by the 1917 legislative assembly. The
departments recommended were those of
finance, administration, education, char
table and correctional institutions, pup
lie works ana conservation, az lCuiIuid
agencies, labor and mining agencies
public health and safety; and control OF
corporations.
Louisiana has taken a decided ster
forward by creating a commission OF
public affairs. This commission exer.
cises the duties ordinarily imposed up
on tax commissions and in addition, is
q standing efficiency and economy com.
mission to devote a portion of It's ener'
gies to a study of government and te
time to the legislative assembly of the
manner and methods of effecting econ
cmy and efficiency. This same commits
sion also has charge Of the annual bud
get.
There is a crying need in North Da'
kota for just such a commission and II
lis probable that the next legislative as
pembly will take some steps toward {
thorough study of conditions In Nortf
Dakota with a view to simplication o.
our state government effecting both &c
onomy and efficiency.