The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-10
F. D. ROOSEVELT
TURNS A CRITIC
Calls for Reorganization of
Government Business on
Better Basis
METHODS DIFFER
IN DEPARTMENTS
Too Much Overlapping and Duplica-
ton IN Administration Work-Would
Pay Efficient Employees More and Re-
duce Their Number.

WASHINGTON, March 10.-Frank-
lin d. Roosevelt, assistant secretary of
the navy, has written to Representative
r. Walton Moore of Virginia a let
ter in which he asserts that radical
improvements should be made in the
organization of the various executive
departments of the government, with
view to increasing its business eff
cheney as an up-to-date going concern.
His letter follows:
Replying to your letter of Feb %,
| hope you will succeed in getting some
action in the matter of improving the
organization and business efficiency of
the executive departments of the ma
tional government. Seven years ex-
perience in Washington, and a certain
amount of study of history, prove to
me conclusively that there is a tremen-
dous field for improvement in three
broad and distinct particulars.
First-There exists an overlapping
and duplication of administrative work
| in the different departments. New ac-
| tivities have grown up in or been as
! signed TO departments with little regard
/ to good business methods. A large
part Of this work should be reassigned
and much of it now scattered between
| different departments should be con-
| soidated in one
/ "Second-Departme methods Of
! administration should be made uniform
For instance, no two departments have
| the same accounting system. In this
same category there is equal need of
/ reform in the method of making APP
preparations by congress. The appro-
priation measure for the different de-
partments show u ridiculous hodge
| podge of subdivisions. restrictions etc.
with complete lack Of uniformity.
! 'Third-Cengress must make up its
mind to give adequate pay to govern
ment servants and to allow greater lat
itudp' and discretion to the executive
heads of departments in the fixing of
/ rates of compensation. Without any
| reference to the secretaries and assis-
Ftant secretaries in the different depart
ments. it is a fact that the admins
trative officials directly under them are
now paid salaries which prevent the
best men from staying in the govern
ment service.
| iiC itShll - tIttltIll al tlic va
down the line. 1t means that the young
er men have no incentive to give their
best energies, for there is no future
to look forward to, and they see in
many of their superiors, men who have
been willing to stay on because of lack
of ambition, and are willing to remain
in rut =
q do not hesitate to say that
could run the navy department more
efficiently in every way with Is pei
cent. fewer employees if l could hay,
J authority TO take the salaries of thes,
employees and add the amount. in my
J discretion, to the pay of those who ar,
experts in their own line of work an(
who would command far higher pay
in private employ | have in mind tn,
men who are making good but vii
not stay under present conditions
5 q know you viii pardon me if
tell you quite frankly that I believ,
America stands, as whole. for bust
ness efficiency in the conduct of its af
fairs, and that in this respect the con
\ gTess of the United States and the ex
5 ecutive departments of the government
need Americanizing more than any othe
!. of our other Institutions