Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-04-27
(The Atlanta Journal News Bureau)
623 Riggs Building.
BY THEODORE TILLER

WASHINGTON, April 24.-Con-
gress, or at least certain members Of
it. has at last begun drive against
waste in the executive departments,
superfluous clerks, idling door
keepers and messengers, army vet
Grams of the battle of the Potomac
and several regiments of war work
ers" who know no armistice.
Cutting through the entanglements
of red tape, the outer defense of the
bureaucrat and his battalion of pen
cil-pushers and typeWriters, congress
will seek some way to put the United
States government, with it's war
debts of more than twenty billions, on
a businesslike basis. Jut now it is
conceded the United States conducts
the biggest business in the world on
the most unbusinesslike principles.
Senator Reed Smoot, in the upper
chamber, and Representatives Madden,
of Illinois, and Blanton, of Texas, in
the house, have been conspicuous IN
their attacks on governmental eXtraV-
agance and clerks who stick tena-
ciously to the federal payroll.
According to the two house MEM
bers, they seldom enter the govern
ment departments without stumbling
over idle messengers and doorkeepers
and once inside the offices hundreds
Of clerks are found who try to APP
pear busy, with one eye lifted toward
the clock which records the time TO
quit.
"Wicked Duplication"
In offering a resolution in the sen
>S1,4,, Of -
vestigating committee to inquire into
duplication of work in the depart
ments, and to devise means for cut
ting the payrolls and bringing about
economies, Senator Smoot observed
81 do not intend now to consume
time by calling attention to the dupn-
cation of work which is found in the
different departments of the govern
ment I have great deal of matter
prepared-it is not complete, now
overland at some future time wish
to direct the senate's attention TO ne
facts, showing that there must pe
some kind of readjustment to the &C
Invites of the departments of oar
government, if We ever intend to 90
awav with the wicked duplication OF
work now going on in these depart
ments."
REPRESENTATIVE Blanton recently
obtained from HERBERT ID. Brown:
-
efficiency, a statement that there are
"literally thousands" of supertluous
clerks in the executive DEPARTMENTS;
'Both Congressman Madden and
myself" wrote Representative Blan-
ton, estimate that there are now III
Washington forty thousand idle, I'M
necessary clerks still on the payroll,
whose services could be dispensed
with without Gripping the service.
Is this true or not"'
Replying, Mr. Brown sald:s
81 do not know whether your tlg--
ures are correct or not, because l
have not had opportunity to find out.
1 know that there are a great many
unnecessary clerks in Washington
Literally thousands), but whether the
number is 10000, 10000 or some 9TH
er figure, l cannot say.
Efficiency Bureau Short
"I know that there are very many my
superfluous clerks in Washington, be
cause Investigations made by the bu-
reau of efficiency in certain offices
have disclosed that fact. Whether
this condition is general throughout
the departments I cannot say without
making a comprehensive survey. with
the limited force of investigators at