Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-12-24

RED TAPE GOES
ENDLESSLY ON
State Bureaus Wander Round
Robin Hoods Barn in
Duplicating Effort.
FEW EXAMPLES GIVEN
By FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

red tape out of government routine
Year after year government bureaus
so on duplicating effort and wandering
all around Robin Hoods barn, instead
OF taking the shortest route. In some
cases, an alteration in office procedure
can be affected by order of the secretary
OF the department or some lesser off
ciaL In other matters, only Congress or
the President has the power to act.
Either WY, the red tape goes on end
lessly unrolling because nobody is suffi-
GENTLY interested to start unwinding a
few more yards of it in order to bring
abont a change
When, once In a great while, some
official simpllfles procedure, the change
Is so unusual as to cause surprise and
comment. General Harris few days ago
attracted widespread interest when he
out through the startling order cutting |
down the number Of endorsements on |
army correspondence. The idea itself is
not original For years, people have
ddiculed the army regulations which re-
uuired soldier applying for furlough, |
co send the request to his sergeant who
referred 1t TO the captain, who had an
endorsement written and copies of the
papers made. and then referred it to the
major who made some more copies, and
80 on to the officer sufficiently elevated
have the final word. The remarkable
fact is that somebody has finally thought
Of doing something about It. Hereafter.
papers will in some cases skip some of
the intermediate officers and those off
GERS who have to endorse them will in
most cases be permitted TO stamp an en-
dOrsement on the document and send II
directly on without making and keeping
records. This is a typical instance Of a
reduction OF red tape.
People are inclined, however, 10 de-
nounce all Government formalitles as red
tape. II We write a letter to the Sec
rotary Of the Treasury about Liberty
ponds and an answer is not found in
the return post. red tape is considered
tho only possible reason for the delay.
And when we read In the paper that
skilled agrieulturist is leaving important
experimental work in the Government for
lack OF q few dollars more In his pay
check. we bewail the red ape which pre-
vents the department from cutting down
It's regiment OF messenger boys and keep
Ing the scientists at work.
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
AND OTHER BUSINESS.
The fact is. the Government is too pom
derous an organization TO be very fex-
ible. What might seem desirable
course to follow In one case would be a
disastrous policy II applied throughout
the service
The difference between the Government
and other business concerns can best he
understood when you take n definite In
stance. II you run a private business,
md prefer not TO keep files. hut to throw
your records Of correspondence into the
waste basket. that is your own affair. II
You are in q partnership. the partner
would have TO be consulted. In COM
pRny, the members have still less abso.
lute liberty. And II the Arm is ineor-
oorated. you may be responsible TO a
heard OF directors and to any number of
stockholders.
The Government represents the most
complex system OF all. 1t is composed Of
yearly 1.OOOOOO employees. Including the
Army and It has 10000 00, employers
the citizens OF the country. Every Gov
eminent clerk is responsible TO this
enormous body OF employers. The whole
organization Is on so large a scale that
only general rules can control its opera
ton.
Suppose. then, you write to the De-
partment of Agriculture regarding u
strange weed in your garden. When
that letter reaches the department It
becomes an Official document 1t is an
swered by the scientist Of the Bureau OF
Plant Industry. who knows most about
such weeds. And then, long after you
have forgotten all about II. your letter
and copy OF the answer lie dusty but
safe in the department archieves.
Ten or twenty years from now the de-
partment may apply 10 Congress FOR per-
mission to destroy your correspondence
and other papers which no longer seem
Of value. 4 committee would consider
the ACCESSIBILITY Of this step. and, II It
approved, Congress would probably pass
an net authorizing the destruction. To
destroy public documents without going
through this ceremony, or even to mutt
late them. IS penitentiary ofrense.
TONS OF GOVERNMENT
PAPERs IN "MoRGUE."
one small bureau which employs only
about fifty clerks has n carload OF papers
filed away. many OF them in bundles
tied up literally with the proverbiai
Government red tape. 30 sort out those
OF value from the worthless papers would
take more time, says the chief, than ne
can give now. There are tons of such |
papers stored in the bureau "morgues"
awaiting a periodical sorting out and
congressional approval for bonfire /
From time to time the bureaus do get |
permission 20 reduce the mounteins of
old correspondence and records. The !
Civil Service Commission, for instance, J
keeps Its records of papers OF persons
who were found Ineligible for a Govern
ment position for several years, uh.il
there Is no possible chance of these
papers being wanted.
Ohhand, this looks like red tape at |
Its reddest. A Government official says
not. He tells US that It is n protection
TO the Government employee and to the /
people of the country. If there were no
such stringent law regarding preserva
ton Of Government papers, dishonest
clerks could too easily cover up crook |
cdress Time and again in an investi- /
CATION of irregular dealings the records
are called for. If the chief or some other |
official had the authority to throw away
these papers after a correspondence was /
closed, there might be no written evil I
dence available, As IL is there have been |
cases where officials who had destroyed
or altered records were discovered and
sentenced
MONEY COLLECTORS MAKE
DAILY RETURNS.
Another instance of what some people !
think is red tape is the requirement that
employees who collect money under the
Treasury Department such as customs
otflcials-make returns daily The official, |
whoever he is, turns In his money to n |
bank, and sends n report to the Treasury
Department. The bank also reports at
once to the Treasury each amount de-
posted. This is a single step In the pre-
hn ,at,tsa ?