Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-16

"Out of the mouths of cabinet officers,
safely resigned and therefore no Longer to
discipline cometh truth" Such is the ON
ment of the WASHINGTON HERALD (Ihd.)
on the searching diagnosis of governmental
ills made by Franklin K. Lane as he REIN
quished the interior portfolio.
''Too much red tape is the substance Of
eX-Secretary Lanes answer to the question,
"What ails Washington" capital, he
says, sis a combination of political caucus,
drawing room and civil service bureau and
he continues:
cit is rich in brains and character. 1t is
honest beyond any commercial standard. 1t
wishes to do everything that will promote
the public good. But it is poorly organized
for the task that belongs to it. Fewer men
of larger capacity would do the task better.
Ability is not lacking, but it is pressed to
the point of paralysis because of infinitude
of details and unwillingness on the part
of the great body of public servants to take
responsibility. Every one seems to be afraid
of every one. The self-protective sense is de-
veloped abnormally, the creative sense afro
phies."
While Mr.. Lane "does not say so in so
many words that the government has become
bureaucratic" the NEW YORK WORLD
(Dem.) thinks that is the name of the thing
which he describes and condemns. ::
These are the symptoms of stagnation and
dry rot that indicate the presence of bu-
reaucracy as unfailingly in America las in
Russia" The IDAHO STATESMAN (Rep)
asserts that instead Of overstating the case,
he rather understates it, but he certainly
hit the nail on the head when he declares
that fewer men of larger capacity would do
better than the poorly organized army Of
officials who now have in hand the conduct
OF the governments business. One
man who has the courage of his convictions
and will take a chance at making a mistake
is better than ten men who adopt the policy
! n IY0 o11I of OF I,;ff
they dread the responsibility of making a
decison.'
great cause of the trouble is, according
to the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER (Rep.)
that "in order to prevent possible fraud or
error we have constantly thrown safeguards
around action until red tape is choking all
men save those with courage enough to dis
regard it, and apparently there are few such
in Washington" and, following up the same
idea, the GREENSBORO DAILY NEWS
Ond.) declares that what America needs
to learn in governmental policy is to pick
| a good man and tell him to go to it." The
fact that office does not carry with it respon-
sibility and opportunity, adds the DETROIT
JOURNAL Tnd. Rep.) "is one reason why
strong, vigorous men like Franklin K. Lane
chuck S12,OOO-a-year cabinet jobs to enter
positions in the business world where there
is some outlet for their energies.
The remedies suggested by Mr.. Lane have
the Endorsement of the BOSTON POST (Ind.
DEM which summarizes them thus:
F'That greater power of discretion be given
to public servants, quicker promotion dis
charge, a sure insurance on disability and
salaries for higher officers twice as large as
those now given. Above all, the man at
the top should be free from details and able
to devote himself to questions of pIannr 6
policies to be followed"
1t seems to the DALLAS NEWS Ind.
Dem.) that this means cabinet officers should
have larger grant of confidence from the
president who appoints them" But this is
"a matter which could hardly be touched by
law since congress could confer no indie
pendent authority on cabinet officers with
out subtracting from that which the con-
stitution gives the president" The NEWS
suggests, however, that: