Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-10
a Department of Public Works

T'HOUGHTFCL men throughout the coun-
l try are becoming deeply Interested in the
bill pending in Congress known as the Jones'
Rcavis bill. the purpose OF which is 10 create
u dc trtment Of public works, under which
the major public works functions will be
consolidated and conducted according to the
wcli-settied precepts OF a modern industrial
organization, and with singular unanimtty
they find themselves heartily agreeing to the
proposal. In the pending bill it is proposed
That the head of this department shall be a
member OF the Cabinet.
The bill. if put into OBJECT, would remove,
many OF the present BARRIERS to efficiency
and economy, Of which all previous expert
ence in public works undertaken by the gov
eminent. markedly emphasized by the waste
lhciocnl TO the carrying out of the huge pro.
gram OF construction imposed by our war
eiort' rendered imperative, If the burden of
taxation is not to become unbearablo under
continuance OF u progressive policy OF pub
TIC works development. The Secretary Of
the treasury recently sent to Congress csti-
mates OIL appropriations required for tho SEA-"
vice OF the fiscal year ending June 80, laal
amounting TO s4.473,G96,35S.32, and this
was exclusive of sinking fund requirements
1or 1870 and Postal Service Looking over
these estimates one fails to find many ob1e:ts
OF expenditure that arc not needed or that
we would not like to have. Yet these esti-
mates must be pruned aud even when this
: done our budget will be improvident when
our ability TO pay is considered
me TACT is we are paying too much for
what we get, and the reason is that the con-
u"ct OIL government business is waStcful aud
sheHicient Tho proposal to create a depart
men: or public works is one step. and q very
important one, in the naturalization OF GOV
eminent business conduct. The public works
functions Of the government are now seat
'preo through nine separate departments
ana thlrty-nine bureaus and services II is
lhiS independent operation and competitive
reiatioh OF like functions which in large
uesrcc renders the government so wostofnl
ana lnemcient III its business conduct
private business operated in that way woultl
soon become bankrupt. All modern jndus.
'rlal prosperity depends on efficient orpan;.
HA'ioi. rms is the fundamental argument
ior national department of public works
rue most conspicuous factor in the devotion
fhent OF industries during tho met tuant
Years has been that OF consolidation of ,ito
'"hcuons, the elimination OF overhoads tho
prevention OF wastes and the increase Of eff
cheney. These factors lie at tho base M "his
business. Even the most pronounced on
poheht ar big business recognizes its econo
mics. N'
me effort to establish depattmcnt of
public works is simply an effort IN Two ~
tHe government the same advantages f,,.,
nave oeeh seized in the private bpsiness
"ofih' i-csent government oyorheads arc
from Two to four times as large as in nri-
'ate operations AS previously stated. there
are now thirty-nine independent standing or
CARNATIONS authorized to perform engineer
r ra anu public works functions. We, there
pre-, pave thirty-nine sets OF sensyat. an,
uistlncl oVurheads some OF which grind out
'ne'r 'oil perpetually and others occasion.
any Under AN efficiently organized dcnart.
ihent OF public works there would be only
ionf sets of Observation-Disclosures orcb;-
lecture. research and law.