The Washington times., 1920-11-23
HARD TASK To
CUT TPAYROLLS
Congress Expected to Meet 0if-
ficulties In Work Of Reorgan-
izing Departments.


Congress is likely TO strike a jam
| when it gets down to the actual work
| of reorgsnizing the Federal depart
ments.
II there is to be "major opera
ton" on the Government establish
i ment by the legislators it battles the
detective powers of well-informed
officials TO ascertain where and how
1t is going to be performed.
PUZzLED OVER PROGRAM
The administrative oficers who
| compose the Federal Club, the ex-
perts Of the Bureau OF Efficiency.
practically all executive officials are
wondering just how the House Bud
get Committee Is going to proceed
/ with its apparent promise to insti-
! tute a sweeping Reorganization.
There is no proposal from any re-
! sponsible source to be laid before the
: coming session which will inaugurate
any .rastic changes or result In any
sweeping cuts In personnel, II was
leatned today.
The House Budget Committee may
[ have determined upon an entire re-
organization OF the Governments
ways OF doing business, but even this
is doubted by those In touch with
the actual facts, inasmuch as no re-
sponsible Congressional leader has
been able to put forth a definite and
concrete plan providing for the kind
of reorganization that Is apparently
in view.
VARIOUS PROPOSALS,
There are various proposals for the
, reorganizing or concentration of va
. rious Federal units and branches.
most of which have already been
; printed in The Washington Times.
{ For several years the Bureau OF Ell.
ficiency has made the most search
I ing ard microscopic kind OF an in
vestigation OF the whole Federal es-
' tablishment, and the general findings
| of its experts are well known to
members OF Congress in advance OF
! the comprehensive report to be pre-
sented to them next month from the
. bureau.
REPORTS EXAGGERATED.
The fact is that the bureau Of effi-
= cheney has found that reports Of over
! tapping and duplication in the de-
! partments have been grossly exagger-
ated; that even in cases Of apparent
duplication there have been found
! sufficiently valid reasons to warrant
| the continuance of the system; and
, that the places in which actual cur
tailment of work could be effected
! without detriment to the Government
service have been few and far be-
tween. Herbert D. Brown. chief Of
the bureau, is not inclined to believe
| that any great ripping up and re-
organization OF the departments can
be effected so far as duplication Is
| concerned.
The bureau OF efficiency has made
certain recommendations in the di-
, rection of reorganization, but none of
them of a drastic kind, certainly none
, of them of type warranting be-
= lief that big reductions Of the Fed
! ersi working force can he made.
! There are numerous places in
which judicious pruning can be
done. and it has been the effort to
ferret out these places and show Con-
gress how they can be eliminated.
But the idea that the whole Federal
establishment reeks with inefficiency,
waste motion, and a cumbersome ex-
cess of clerical force. such as Con-
gressman Wood has indicated. meets
with no confirmation from the scien-
lists who have devoted years to a
study of the subject.
PEAK LOAD PROBLEM.
There are various departmental
practices that the Bureau of Effici-
ency believes could be improved. such
as that involving the maintenance Of
stan for the handling of a peak
load" on certain class of work,
when as a matter Of fact this peak
load" does not present itself as an
emergency more than a few days out
Of the entire year.
There could be substantial whit
in various Federal departments,
notably the War Risk Bureau. for
addressograph work, for instance.
Here a big excess force is maintained
against the emergency of a peak
load" Of work which it is rarely
called upon to do.
The reorganization of the statis-
tical work of all the departments
probably will be attempted by Con-
gress. 1t is believed that the central
ization OF this technical work would
result in increased service and effici-
ency from every point of veiw. Stat
istics involving the same class OF
commodities OF facts are now assem-
bIed by the departments in such di-
verse and contrasting ways that IL Is
extremely difficult to coordinate them
when a birds eye view of the whole
subject is required.