Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-02
TO economical and efficient public ser

tain IN business successfully conducted.
Government has been aptly likcncd
70 great business interest. OF which
inc legislature Is the board OF direc-
lots, the people arc the stockholders.
and the Governor is tho general man
aEer. The dividends declared by such
Pupilc adventure should be tho pro-
lection OF the weak against tho strong.
inc education of the people and the
conservation and development OF the
resources of the Statc-hcr asricul-
tural commercial. industrial and pro-
fcssionaI life.
Uncontrolled Agencies.
From time to time bureaus and State
agencies have been added to the list OF
our public activities. and it has been
the cndeavor of their creators to place
them beyond the supervision OF the
Governor and to permit them to dis
purse the funds collected by them. as
well as practically to audit their own
accounts: they hold themselves entirely
| independent of the General Assembly
and conduct little governments of their
own This state of affairs should be
remcdied by prompt legislation. All
! FUNDS should he paid Into the treasury
| SUBJECT TO appropriation by tho General
+. Assembly. and should he audited by
! the Auditor of Public Accounts who
should have vouchers for every cxpen-
oiture. This is IN elementary prin-
c!nle of Democratic government hut
Tor some ineSpllcablc reason remedial
| legislation has hitherto been withheld
Again. the purchasing by various
state institutions and departments OF
! large quantities of materials and sun
plies without any special co ordination
of effort to. secure by purchasing in
4 volume the best material at the lowest
/ price. is OF necessity wastcful and cx-
traHagant. All great business concerns
\ nave a purchasing agent. who buys in
| quantities in those markets that are
most available. and | ain especially
anxious to see this business principle
applied 10 state government in Virginia
by the establishment OF :, central pur-
CHASING agent, who shall serve under
state purchasing comm iSsion all APP
nointed from the list of our present
state officers, who would serve without
additional compensation. am per-
suaded that an enormous saving can
! be made in purchases for the state by
adopting this plan. which obtains ana
Is successfully conducted in other
| States
! The rcpor; of tho Commission on
Economy and Efficiency is able and in
structivc. and presents a fruitful field
Tor helpful legislation. which viii do
much TO place the State upon a bust
ness basis of administration.
Farm Labor.
| Virginia has vast and varied re-
sources; her abundant crops crown val
ley and hilltop from mountain 10 tide
water: her rich coal and iron fields her
magnificent manufacturing and indus-
trial establishments. her great harhors
ana hshe.'ies. present a dive.siiica.ion
OF interest and opportunity uneuualed
elsewhere; her climate is admirable,
ana the great markets OF tho country
at her door
There is in ali these fields Of en-
deavor fevcr!sh demand ,ha, stimu-
iaies production. and labor mas sought
cccupa ton in those industries where
! the reward is greatest The Federal
government. III order - expedite war
contracts. has adopted cost with 10 per
cent profit as a basis Of compensation
which has established an enormous
scale Of wages; the departments OF
/ Federal military service have covered
public places with high bids for labor:
munition factories pressed for carly
deliveries. have been equally prodigal
with pay. and tho draft boards have
drawn heavily upon creative labor: tho
/ farmers especially have felt heavily.
these conditions yet they must win the
war. II is from their production that
food must come to stave off starvation:
hlunders made at planting time may
not he remcdied at harvest. Industries
may be smut down TO await the dcla yed
distribution of ccal, transportation
companies may be regulated In their
'fS'a CH.tpS INTO 0TOeF, nut
for starving people there is bu, ono
ncdy--food-which no distributor In
general can produce out OF season or
within that time which nature rcuuires
from Ecrminotion to harvest What
the farmers need is credit and labor.
Money for long terms at low rates o!
interest, which can he secured only
through the guarantee Of farm loan
bonds by the Federal government. must
he theirs: labor. which must be pro-
vided at the opportunc tiinc. Failure
to secure labor sufficient TO their agri-
cultural needs viii lie source Of de-
rtructive disaster for our pconlc and
Tor our mon and our allies abroad.
Labor for tho farmers. unless i'm
ported. must volunteer or he drafted.
In Canada both men and women volun-
tcer. and i; may be that those IN our
cities who have spent their earlier lives
on the farm may. in - spirit OF pa
triot:sui. give aid. state and Federal
government must cooperate in the So
luton OF this serious problem. and
. suggest That toint Legislative COM
mittce lie appointed to investigate
iar!n conditions In this State in con-
nection with the Federal government
with a riea- OF obta ming labor for our
farmers next summer.
Education.
! The chief business Of democracy is
ity. and democracy that fails of OPP
nortnnity is a sham. My travels
throughout tho State have convinced
nc that our future is to be nodded in
our primary schools: small proper
tion OF the children. who as men and
women VIII direct the destiny of the
state. ever enjoy higher education and
] shall not rest content until Il fun
term Is secured for all the primary
SCHOOLS and competent adcqua tcly- pa Id
teachers lead tho children in their early
years TO that first knowledge that is
tue chiet boon and safeguard of de-
inocracy. the high schools should not
hhnriSh nj tho expense Of tho primary
schools. II we would build surely we
must build from the bottom IN be-
ieFe ~ higher education. OF which in
| a measure. | have been the beneficiary
but ] am persuaded that if we would
pulid Virginia We must he keenly alive
10 the needs OF the 100000 children who
because OF the exigencies or life, limit
their education In that which is to be
had in the elementary schools