Evening star., 1920-06-27
II S.WORKSHOP CHART
READY FOR CONGRESS
Bureau of Efficiency Reports Will Be Used
in Plan to Coordinate Overlapping
Department Work.

bureaus. boards or agencies of the
government has been found. Three
clean-cut illustrations are given by
bureau of standards of the Commerce
Department and the bureau of mines
of the Interior Department are du-
plicating investigations-O heat
treatment of carbon steel (2) light
rays, (S) after corrosion of rifles.
There is also actual duplication in the
testing of the wearing quality of
leather of the bureau of standards
of the Commerce Department and the
bureau of chemistry of the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
Still another actual duplication is
in the collection and publication OF
vital statistics by the bureau of the
census, Department of Commerce, and
by the public health service, Treas
ury Department.. The children's bu-
reau of the Department of Labor also
makes intensive study in SPECIFIC Inn
tied areas with special reference to
infant mortality.
ton, as ascertained by the bureau OF
efficiency, include: The publication OF
wholesale prices by the bureau OF
foreign and domestic commerce, De-
partment of Commerce and by the
bureau of labor statistics, Department
of Labor.
The net result is found to be COM
paratively little extra cost because
the performance of these studies en-
tails little extra time and much of the
information and statistics are volun-
tary contributions from the state rec
ords.
So, the bureau of efficiency is pre-
pairing two reports for Congress: one,-
on government statistical activities,
and the second on duplication of ac-
tivities or functions.
Classified Index Built Up.
In connection with the study of du-
plication of work the bureau of effl-
cheney has built up a classified index
of all the activities of the federal
government in Washington from 1913
to date About $4,000 cards represent
these activities. There is a card for
each specific project undertaken by
each branch of the government and
history of the activity.
The principal value of such an in
dex is that the bureau of efficiency in
receiving reports of all contemplated
activities by any branch of the gov
ernment service could tell if any 9TH
er bureau, board, commission or es-
had been or was at the
time engaged in similar activity,
and thus could prevent duplication.
Several bills Introduced in Congress
have proposed certain new govern
ment departments to take over vari-
Gus activities and work scattered
The bureau of efficiency is now at
work onfa complete and definite skel-
eton to be recommended to Congress
by Herbert D. Brown. chief of the
bureau, as a basis for economic and
efficient reorganization. 1t is ex- ect-
ed that the tentative draft will be
ready by about the middle of next
month. but the investigators and ex-
perts of the bureau will work over
this framework for the government
service all summer.
The program proposes that all in
dependent establishments. with sthe
exception of three judicial or semi
judicial authorizations. shall be COW
cred into government departments.
The three exceptions are: The Inter-
state Commerce Commission. the Fed
eral Trade Commission. which holds
about the same relation to business
that the Interstate Commerce Com
mission does to the railroads, and the
United States Tariff Commission,
which exists for the benefit of Con-
gress, to assist in framing tariff leg
islation.
Public Service Given Attention.
One of the. new departments that is
being discussed is that of health. but
the plans are only tentative, another
is that of maritime affairs.
Probably the one proposed new de-
partment which is being given the
closest study is that of public serv-
ice This would include the Civil Serv-
ice Commission and bureau of pro-
curement or purchase which would
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