Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1920-05-07
WHY GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP is
INEFFICIENT AND DESTRUCTIVE

(Erom the Efficiency Magazine.
edited by Herbert ~ Cass0n, London.
Speaking quietly. without rage and
orcjudice, can any one tell why IL Is
that all government departments. in al
eouptries. are slow. wastrful. and in
SonIpctent!
There must he some basic reason for
this. M the individuals in these de-
paytmcnts cannot all he inferior 10 the
shHsiividuals in privat" firms.
Almost invariably AN able man be-
zones disabled when he IL placed in Z,
government department
He becomes timid. procrastinating.
sSon-committal. evasive. and unprofit-
tASle. lie becomes IA mere chatte of
-0utine.
why is this
The fact seems to be that man sim
ply cannot be competent In q govern
ssnent job for the following reasons:
T. There is no payment by results.
There is no piecework. There is no
profit sharing. man gets as much
essr doing badly as he does for doing
veil
q. There ~ no fear of discharge
A man may he transferred. but rs
-f0uE as his conduct is satisfactory. he
ss-annot be discharged for Incompetence
ANY sort of fool can hold IA job for
aver in the civil service.
J. There are no profits to be made
There is no p"ssibility of bankruptcy.
Xxx the department doesn't pay-very
well The treasury has plenty.
a. There is no danger of losing GUS
%oners
A government department does not
depend upon its customers. so that 1t
mas no inventive to he quick. and cour-
'ieoos. and obliginp.
g. The main thing is accuracy, not
Ns1~rEss. His one aim is to avoid mis-
b Neshes The less h" does. the fewer
crafstak"s
Il Time is of no consequence.
AS All government employees are
sTnaic into clerks. they come to have a
'seierk's disregard of time. To clerks
9aH ~ lawyers. Il delay is IA relief and "A
~T,omfort-the more the better.
2. The word is imrersonal
Tfer" Is very little personal rcspon-
-Sihiiity in government office. The
'cferks have arranged a system whereby
tsonody Ia TO blame, no matter what
happens.
:. There tx no competition.
y government department IL always
a monopoly II If we're not. II would
S>e soon thrown aside, 1t has no COM
S-etitors to battle with. and it can take
ats ease ana do as it plcaScs
;. RoutiEc is put ahead of service
In government departments all the
't'd with red tape. They are all the
tsiavcs OF a system Of procedure.
%. There is no enthusiasm.
II IL man stays in n government Job
'orE enough he becomes imummified
lie loses all III" energy and joy of liv-
sn;s that are SO n"ceSS iry to efficiency
al aurrtS.
The" arr. Il few Of IT," reasons why
nt'toni iizat,on always LHS failed and
ns"ays viii.
Just put yourself in the piac" of
ShSSc poor government nutomata \u
enIit"r how ah" YOU are. how could
ton \" efficient. tr ynu had:
so nope Of profits.
so fear of failure
No competitors,
M customers
Ne reason tn hurry, and
No danger OF being found out
DECENTRALIZATION il not only "A de-
'struSci of trade ana commerce II is
rot only II coral reef built across tn,
taIrbor of prosperity.
1t TX worse u ~ far worst. IL is :,
'deStroyer of men IT takes AN abb,
Snar. ana Grinds him down until he Is
clerical drudr"
1t lowers the spirit and hardihood
nr Il nation. 1t pIupcrizrs. II duils
Che mind and her umhs the feelings. II
changes lions into rabbits What could
ae worse?