The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-01-16
DETROIT REAL ESTATE
MEN HEAR L0WDEN
Governor Of illinois Tells About
States Administrative Code
and Budget System
REDUCES TAX AND EXPENSES
State Government Now Administered
by Nine Departments-For-
merIy Had t25
Agencies.

Detroit. Mich, Jan. 16.-Governor
Frank q. Lowden OF Illinois told a
large audience. here tonight Of the
successful reorganization of the gov
ernmentai machinery Of the State Of
Illinois. In two years the taxes have
been reduced from 90 to 60 cents per
one hundred dollars valuation, drop
ping 10 cents each year despite high
prices. He attributed this largely to
the consolidation Of the cumbersome
state machinery into nine compact de-
partments. with budget system Of
making appropriations, and an efficient
Organization to prevent the wasting
of the states finances.
Governor Lowden's address was de-
Iivered before the real estate men Of
Detroit at their annual banquet. He
said:
When ] came into Office, there were
more than 125 independent agencies
of the state government. Sometimes 1t
was a board sometimes "a commission,
and sometimes an individual official.
Whatever form those agencies took,
however, they were entirely indepen-
dent of one another. Each was a law
unto itself, answerable only to the
governor. This system tended natural
~ toward inefficiency and extrava-
yance. For. of course, 1t was impos-
,ible for the governor TO supervise in
ANY effective way these different
agencies. OF late years 1t has been the
Fashion. when the state has taken on
SEINE new function of government, to
create hoard or commission to dis
charge that function. Places on such
boards and commissions were very
| much sought after. because it was not
expected that the members of these
boards or commissions would give all
n very many instances they were not
Expected to give any substantial part
IF their time to the state service. and
could therefore carry on their private
business at the same time.
2 This seemed to the an expensive and
Il wasteful system of government.
Jpon examination II was found that
| hese 1916 or more agencies naturally
grouped themselves under nine heads.
We. therefore, abolished all these in
dependent boards, commissions and
officials. save only those boards which
Exercised quasi-judicial or legislative
authority. namely: the public utilities
commission, the Industrial commission
ind the civil service commission. The
powers exercised by the numerous
bodies above mentioned were distrib-
Ited among nine departments of gov
,rnment, created by what Is known
as the civil administrative code. These
line departments are: the department
IF public welfare; the department OF
public works and buildings; the de-
,artmeEt of public health; the depart
nent OF agriculture; the department
If trade and commerce.; the depart
nent of labor; the department Of
mines and minerals; the department
VI registration. and the department Of
nance.
Instead of putting boards and COM
missions at the heads of these depart
nents, we put individuals. This was
upon the theory that 1t is individuals
Sho do things, and not boards or COM
Missions. A board may be desirable
,or legislative or judicial powers. or as
an advisory body. In practice, how
ever, II Is the individual always who
axes the initiative. Hence. an indi-
1idual was put at the head Of each
VI these departments, and we called
lin director Of the department. =
1t may happen, however. that the
read Of department, upon some Inn
,ortant question Of policy, would like
he advice OF able and experienced
men upon the subject. We, therefore.
provided advisory committees for this
purpose. The members of these COM
uittees serve without pay. We have
nund that many of the abiest men In
he state are perfectly willing 70 serve
ipon an advisory committee without
)ay. although they could not be in
iuced to take a salaried position. IN
his way we avail ourselves OF the
pest talent upon the various subjects
" state administration within the
state. All the officers, Including the
reads of departments, under the ad-
illustrative code. are required 10 give
all their time to the public service.
The civil administrative code has
,een In operation now more than two
Ivears. In results II has surpassed our
expectations We now have at the
seat Of government nine responsible
heads Of departments In daily touch
with the governor. who. therefore. can
exercise a proper Supervision over the
Affairs of the state: for each head Of
department. IN turn. Is In constant
touch with the activities Of that de-
pnrtment. Extravaganza and incorr-
potency are easily discovered and corr
rected.
In Illinois our legislature meets once
in two yexfs and we. therefore. APP
propriate for two years in advance. In
the winter Of 1917 appropriations were
made for the period commencing July
l. 1917. and ending June 80. mo.
Though these appropriations were
based upon pre-war prices and eosdi-jj