Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-03-01
CAPITOL NEEDS
FEWER MEN AND
MORE BRAINS IS
LANE s Of P|N|ON
Cabinet Official, on the Eve
Of His Retirement From
Public Life, HurIS a Brick
at Government System.
"PASSING THE BUCK
is FAVORITE SPORT
Everyone Seems to Be
Afraid of Everyone and
Nobody Seems Willing to
Assume any Responsibility

Icy MORNING JouHHAL SPECIAL LEASED wIae1
Washington, Feb. 29 (by the AS
scciated Press) Official Wash
ington, "a combination of political
caucus, drawing room and civil
service b ure aus" containing
statesmen who are politicians and
politicians who are not statesmen,
is poorly organized for its task
which fewer men of larger ca
I acity would do better"
Such is an epitOme of the views
of Franklin X. Lane, retiring sec
letary of the interior expressed In
a characteristic parting report to
leaving public life today after
more than twenty years service
the last seven in the cabinet.
washington, says the retiring
secretary, 'is rich in brains and
character. 1t honest beyond
any commercial standard 1t wishes
to do everything that will promote
the public good. But it is poorly
organized for the task that belongs
TO it. Fewer men of large capacity
would do the task better Ability
is not lacking, but it is pressed to
the point of paralysis because of
on infinitude of details and an un-
Willingness on the part of the
great body of the public servants
10 take responsibility. Every one
seems to be afraid of everyone.
The self-protective sense is de-
veloped abnormally, the creative
sense atrophies. Trust, confl-
dence, enthusiasm-these simple
virtues OF all great business are the
ones most lacking in government
organization. We have so many
checks and brakes upon our work
that our progress does not keep
pace with the nations require
nents.
1--WE could save money for the
government if we had more dis
Cretion as to how we should use
that given us. For the benefit of
the civil servants there should be
quicker promotion or discharge
end a sure insurance when d1sa-
bility comes. For the higher ad-
ministrative officers there should
be salaries twice as high as those
now given and they should be made
t. feel that they are the ones re-
sponsible for the work of the de-
partment; the head being merely
an adviser and constructor OF poll
cies. AS matters are now devised
there are too few whose business 1t
is to plan. Every man Is held TO
details. to the narrower view which
comes too often to be the develop
ment view of some sort of paro-
chial view. We need for the day
that is here and upon us men who
have little to do but study the
problems of the time and test
their capacity of meeting them.
I'm a word we need more oppor-
tunity for planning, engineering,
craftsmanship above, and more
fixed authority and responsibility
below"
Describing the interior depart
ment as an abiding place for
group of unrelated governmental
agencies" the retiring secretary
characterized it none the less as
the most distinctly American of
all the departments and reviews
briefly the aims and accomplish
ments of his administration, some
of the former unrealiZed. Com
struction of the Alaskan railway,
opening of Alaskan lands by a leas
ing system, water power develop
ment legislation and leasing sys-
TEN of oil and mineral lands on
the public domain are enumerated
among the latter.
Alaska, the secretary thinks, Is
hampered by too much "red tape
in Washington which is static
policy" in many of the govern
ment's bureaus. Alaska, Mr.. Lare
says, should be administered by
federal board in the territory, DC
policed by a constabulary as v'as
northwestern Canada, should have
her coasts made safe for naviga-
tion and have Canadian musk OK
crossed with the native reindeer. 10
furnish a new supply of meat TO
the Pacific coast
Americanization. the develop
ment of the capital as an educa
tional center for the country. farms
for soldiers, and development of
ratural resources are am mong the
projects Mr.. Lane leaves behind
him and mis- report Yargues for the
wisdom of their prosecution
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