Evening journal., 1920-08-05
BANKERS At
SMYRNA TALK
over REFORMS
continued from First Page.

ers were guests OF Smyrna bankers
at luncheon al the Colonial Hotel.
In the course OF his address, Chair
man White OF The State Survey Com
mission sail.
Cumbersome Machinery.
The administrative branch OF Del
aware's government has inadequate,
inefficient and cumbersome machin-
cry. II Is this condition which Is
aching for correction. There is no
criticism OF public Oflcials as indi-
viduals. There IS no reform aimed at
! ihem. They are dong the best they
can with the system under which
! they are working The wonder is they
get as good results as they do. The
wonder Is not that there Is incni-
/ ciency In public service waste OF
money and time and lost motion in
the administration OF our public ar
fairs. but that considering the COM
/ plicated and supernous machinery,
there Is not more.
"'rhe phase OF administrative gov
ernment In Delaware which calls
most loudly for modification is the
multiplicity OF commissions boards
and appointive Offices acting indie
pcndently OF each other without CO.
ordination or cooperation In law or
practice. Briefly. the administrative
frrchons Of the Slate OF Delaware are
vested IN III agencies. The lncum-
b'nts OF only six OF these are elected
by the people. The incumbents Of
the remaining ~ agencies are ap-
pointed and therefore not respons-
ible directly 30 the peOple. Some are
appointed by The Governor tsublect
10 The approval OF the state Senaie) (.
some are appointed by The Judges OF
The superior Court; some by boards
which, themselves, IN turn, are ap-
pointed; some hold their positions
ex-ofllcio. In few,if any OF these in
stances does the power 10 appoint
carry with Il the power 20 remove /:
50 mat, once In Office the incumbent
Is not ansWerahle TO the power which
placed him there. Neither is he an
swerahle 10 the people. NOT beIne
elected. This Is a Nat Reputation or
an principles Of representative gov
ernment
In addition 30 this very serious
fault the duties OF many admlnislra.
tive Offices are so loosely defined bv
law that the dulles and authority OF
one agency frequently overlap and
conflict with or duplicate the duties
and authority OF other agencies. This
situation Is the accumulation OF gem
erations OF legislation, most Of 10
enacted 20 meet temporary demands. /.
little OF it enacted with a view OF
producing a well-halanced adminlstra-
tive organization"
After reviewing the efforts OF
former Governor Charles r. Miller
and or Governor Townsend 10 intro
.duce a permanent budget system and
the appointment OF the Survey Com
mission. Mr. White continued:
1T Is somewhat misleading that this
Commission should have been named
The Survey Commission. Such title
Is one Of designation rather than de-
scrption, and it Is no part OF The
Commissions work 10 make any sur
vey. Il Is organized for The purpose
OF making an application OF surveys
square and triangle OF practical gov
ernmcnt end local conditions 10 the
many plans which have been offered,
and 10 select those which prove true
and workable 10 Is a Commission OF
ways and means OF reducing abstract
recommendations TO concrete Jaw
and practice II the recommendations
are meritorious II not. then It's duty
Is TO reject the recommendations.
Want More Efficiency.
since my election as chairman OF
the state Survey Commission / have
I been making the best EFFORT 10 as
scmblo information that would en-
/ able the commission 30 determine the
i best methods OF State administration
and the most practical way of trans
I forming the existing administrative
oreanizatln into one more efficient,
I more economic and more progressive,
/ Tho commission has secured from
various states in the Union copies OF
/ laws and procedure under which
these states are making wonderful
{ advance toward better government
! The budget system has been cstab-
! lished In a majority OF states and
/ MS results have proved gratifying
/ The survey commission has compiled
and analyzed these various laws and
70 has just issued a pre- liminary re-
port upon the budget system as u Is
/ In force In other states.
Another important step IN adj
ministrative reform Is a consolidation
and simpllhcation OF the several de-
/ parlmonis having 10 do with the
collection and distribution or the
/ states revenues Your Commission
Is now al work upon such plan and
as soon as we have completed our re-
/ search we will make public the re-
suits OF our investigation and our
conclusions iherefrom 10 Is the very
/ earnest wish of The State Survey
! Commission that the peope Of Della
ware should be fully Informed In ad-
vance OF the next session OF the Leg
/ islaiure as to what can be done and
what ought TO be done FIRST regard
ing a hudgetary plan OF handline
public finances and, second, regard
/ ing a simplincation OF our admin
isirative branch OF government
/ Amendments Favored. 49,.
state Bank Commissioner Medill
| smoke upon some amendments 20 the
Banking Laws OF the State that would
be desirable 10 present 60 the next
/ LEGISLATURE.
zone on the most important is that
OF rewriting the law relating 10 the
state taxation OF banks said Mr..
Nedlll
"The present law was meant 20 apply
| equally 10 National and State banks,
but In my opinion cannot be enforced
against National banks, as II Is con-
trary to the Federal law. which does
not permit a state 20 lay a privilege
/ OF a franchise tax against a National
bank.
III Delaware is 70 have we'll
rounded, complete up 10 date banking
code, these are several amendments
| and additions that should be made.
/ lt Is a matter that requires the best
/ effort and thought OF The bankers OF
I the STATE"
Tells Of Federal Reserve.
III The Federal Reserve system was dis
cussed by r. NJ. Miller. Jr.. assistant