Bonners Ferry herald., 1919-09-23
DAVIS PLAN
IS A SUCCESS
NEW CABINET FORM OF GOVERN.
MENT WORKING OUT TO BEST
INTERESTS OF THE STATE
is ECONOMICAL AND EFFICIENT
Eliminate Red Tape and Costly Dup
lication In Many Offices


This compound of importuning and
command formed the keynote of an
address made by Governor ID. W. Davis ,
at the first meeting of his state cabi- !
net. BY way of reply the commission
ers of the states nine thoroughly CEN
tralized and co-ordinated departments
have begun to accomplish big things
for Idaho.
For several years political scien-
lists have been agreed that the theory
upon which the Davis law is based is
indubitably sound. In Idaho as well
as in other states, the measure was
opposed, conscientiously in many in
stances, by individuals who raised the
hue and cry of impracticability.
Four months of operation of the
new scheme in Idaho seem to have
proven conclusively that the skeptic
must cast aside his skepticism, that
the doubter may cling no longer to his
doubt. That thoroughgoing efficiency
which proponents of the Davis law
had anticipated is demonstrating itself
in results,
Red tape and costly duplication have
been supplanted by direct action and
Capitalization. Idaho is experiencing
the dawn of a new era in civil admins
tration.
Splendid nonpartisanship has char
accrued the attitude of many persons
of opposing political faiths who have
placed the stamp cf unqualified ap-
! proval on the new law. Perhaps the
l most striking of these expressions
came recently from a prominent Dem
e ocrat who had served the state as chief
executive and who knows the respon-
sibilities attendant upon that office.
J "The Davis law providing for the
= consolidation of state governmental
J. functions" declared former Governor
James II. Hawley, sis the best piece o.
legislation placed in the laws of Ida
!. no since the adoption of the Constitu
o ton"
. Capitalization of authority and re
= sponsibility is having two marked eff
y fects. 1t is bringing better men int
- public life and it is arousing in tn
!, people a higher regard for their dut
- in the matter of selecting executive
% capable of managing their great gov
- ernmental business.
- In past years many business an
=. professional men have hesitated
> take a state office because of wha
- they thought might prove concomitar
~ - loss of caste. Under the new system
u however, able business men can b
~ drafted because they are called to d'
partmental headships which enab
20 them to use and display to best az
- vantage the intellect and energy the
al possess.
:, a Definite fixing of responsibility
II a salient feature of the Davis law. Al
- thority has been so centralized tn
W the public official is answerable Il
the success or fzilure of hi5 admin
:, tration. It is obvious that the publ
~. ~ will exercise increased care in selec
~ ing men to whom duties so vitally IL
W portant are to be delegated.
lle Results achieved by four months
"a, the actual operation of the new sy
Tn ~ tenn may readily be determined by !
~ ~ ferences to reports made at meetin
-, ~ of the governors cabinet. In the Il
upp lowing paragraphs will be found hi
20 90 lights" taken from the statements
- ~ the various commissioners.
&c Idaho's north and south highw;
raj euuJeO' aionS ~ ~ Co. vii bav', becomt
Vi substantial realty by the summer
1921. according to William ]. Hs
us m commissioner of the department
up public works, under whose jurisd
SCI SCI ton more than $15,000,000 will be
pended for road improvements, in
~ ~ coming biennium.
~ I'm Commissioner Hall, who in addit
M'nu M to directing the bureau of highwa
oeo also is supervising the construction
" the new wings being added to the ca
40 tol building, advising in the mana
~ ment of the state bureau of supp
poS and striving to make Hepburn pi
eee' both accessible and attractive, has
ren declared that the north and so
highway promises to be boulevard
1921, but he has announced that
entire route will be safely passable
cars of every description by that u
Aent Contracts have been let recently
safe work on this prospective artery
disc travel and commerce involving a L
, Oh of S679 900, and construction of
S28S, 900 bit of the road is now ur
and way. Completion of these two
oes- will eliminate the hazard now enta
)nce in a north and south passage by au
and Several thousand dollars alre
ac- have been saved the state through
n, bureau of supplies over which Mr..
10 is has Jurisdiction. The ability OF
20 is state purchasing agent to obtain IL
oun- al quantity discounts on all staple
Teral ticles has resulted in economies W
piles cannot he computed accurately
back cause of the lack Of basis of {
parison, but which are expected
with reach a substantial figure before
he OF end of the biennium.
oun- The public works commissioner
/ re- diets that the new capitol wings
be ready in time to house the
teenth session of the Idaho legisla
lurs- IL costs of construction begin w
posi- the next few months to gravitat'
near ward a normal level. However,
new construction costs remain unrea
ere a ably high, 1t may prove necessar,
time postpone the completion Of the b
ling for some time.