Evening star., 1920-06-27
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

its attention 10 survey
the government establish
ment with a view to achieving real
economy and efficiency through eilfnl-
nation of overlapping and duplication
of activity, functions or service, anu
contemplates a complete reorganlza- a.
ton of the federal departments.
When Congress meets again there
will be laid before it promptly reports
resulting from a long investigation
by the United States bureau of efti-
cheney covering Implications or over
lappings. and these reports will be
accompanied by recommendations
with skeleton diagram or chart for
complete reorganization of Uncle
Sans workshop. These recommenda-
tions will not merely attempt to re-
shuttle and deal out the administrative
. functions and activities as they now
exist but VIII contemplate the entire
problem of federal service with a view
to co-ordinating and reorganizing all
1.-The functions and activities so that
the best possible establishment for
the future of the country and the
American people will be BUILT up.
Investigation Along Two Lines.
The bureau of efficiency has been
directing its Investigations under two
authorizations from Congress. The
act of March 1. 1919. directed the bu-
reau to Investigate duplication of
statistical and other work and meth
DDS of business in the various
branches of the government service"
The act of November 4. 1919, in sec
|ftion 3. provides: That the bureau of
efficiency is directed to investigate
the scope and character of statistics
needed by the government. and the
methods of collecting. compiling and
presenting statistical information by
the several executive departments and
Independent government establish
ments and submit to Congress a re-
port of its finding. together with such
recommendations as it deems proper"
The bureau of efficiency already
has made two reports to Congress on
the question of duplication in spe-
cific phases of the government serv-
, ice. The first of these was in regard
to the nine subtreasuries, and the plan
followed in closing these subtreas-
uries and redistributing their work
to other agencies was substantially
along the lines recommended in that
report. In the last session of Con-
gress another report was made on
athe subject of duplication in foreign
service.
Thus far the investigation of du-
otpl
lied. report on duplication in the
statistical field is now ready and will
be submitted to Congress as soon as
it reconvenes.
The bureau also is engaged on
more general survey covering the
question of duplication and overlap
ping throughout the entire govern
ment workshop, and a report is now
being drafted which will show the
weakness and dangerous growths
that have been discovered. This will
be accompanied by report which
will suggest the remedy or cure.
This report shows that, though the
number of actual Implications and
overlappings is surprisingly small,
considering the size of the govern
ment establishment and the apparent
reckIessness with which Congress
from time TO time authorizes new
boards and commissions and func-
tions and activities. yet by a sys-
tenatic coordination very ma
terial saving in expenditures can be
effected and the wheels of govern
Ament machinery speeded up.
Duplication in Equipment.
duplication there is has been
found mostly in equipment and over
head expenses. The Implications are
mostly of functions rather than ac-
tivities. This means. the bureau of
efficiency asserts, that there is a big
opportunity for dovetailing to get
rid of the danger of overlapping. and
the bureau has discovered that the
departments and bureaus have shown
a very commendable disposition to
cooperate in this way.
For example, there are ten agencies
in the government service that make
hydrographic studies-but each is
doing a different class of work and
for different purposes. The problem is
how to make a combination of several
of these and set up uniform organ
ization that will reduce overhead
and so effect a saving.
The same is the case with regard to
- payment of pensions-one group is
paying civil war pensions the pen
sion bureau); another is paying allot-
ments. compensation, insurance, ETC.,
for tbose who served in the world
war (the bureau of war risk insur-
ance); a third is paying clVlhan
nensions to those injured in the
Government service Cthe employees
CONDENSATION commission).
~ The women's bureau authorized by
Congress in the wind-up rush is cited
as an example of how Congress is
increasing the overlapping functions
from time to time. Those who have
been making study of Uncle Sans
activities point out that the women's
bureau will take over a part of the
work that has been done by the bu-
reau of labor statistics. They say
that Congress thus is showing a dis
position to break up the functions of
the bureau of labor statistics which
are SO broad under the organic act
the appropriations.
War Trade Board Overlaps.
Similarly, the war trade board Sec
ton of the State Departmentorganize
under the Overman act, is cited as an
Illustration of scattering overlapping
functions Every service performed