The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1921-04-18

reduction in the number of useless Of
fees, the salaries of which drain the
substance of the people At that time
the Official Register listed $4,000
Federal employees, in addition to 22S.-
600 postal employees, or 5000 in all.
When the Republicans came into pow
er, two and half years after the war
there weer about 100000 employees on
the Federal payroll You see,' said
Congressman Reavis, some time ago,
the American people have for many
years paid the expenses of their gov
eminent with taxes collected from the
protective tariff and liquor, etc. They
hardly realized they were paying for
the operations of the government ma
chinery and consequently did not care
how that machinery was run. The
pork-barrel and the pork darrell Con-
gresham resulted!'"
what is pork-barrel Congress
man, Uncle Ted asked Jack. "A man
who compacts with others to bog the
public treasury for the benefit of
their respective districts, leaving the
sQueal to the taxpayers" replied his
uncle.
"Our Constitution provides for three
separate branches Of the government
the Legislative, executive and judicial,
the first two being directly RESPONSE
BILE to the people, but as Congressman
Iihlman points out, there has grown
up a new adjunct to the three coord-
mate branches, namely, government
by boards, by bureaus and by COM
missions. Such agencies had no place
in the original scheme Of government.
Lincoln called them 'chemes to de-
feat the government, probably be-
cause of their tendency to work at
cross purposes with the regular
branches, and to absorb their func-
tions.
"a study of the governmental or
ganlzation of last year will show that
there were 80 separate governmental
agencies handling engineering, archi-
tectural and public works functions of
related kinds; 26 engaged in survey
ing or map-making; q separate and
distinct agencies with authority to
build; 16 authorized to build roads
| 10 engaged in hydraulic construction
16 working on rivers; Is doing chem
ical investigation connected with pub
lie works; 20 doing engineering and
research; and 10 engaged in public
land functions. As General Marshall
head of the Army Construction Divi-
sion, pointed out: Over in the Depart
ment Of Commerce the Census Officer
works with the Bureau of Fisheries
while weights, measures, concrete and
photometry in the bureau of standards
have their chambers right alongside
the foghorns Of the Lighthouse, In the
Treasury Department the Public
Health Service, the Supervising Archi.
tect, the Director of the Mint, the Wal
Risk Bureau, and the Coast Guard lie
dow ntogether; In the Department oil
Interior we have the Pension Office
and the Alaska Engineering Commits
sion, and the Bureau of Education
pulls in harness with st. Elizabeth
Hospital for the Insane If govern
ment work is ever % be done at cost
comparable to that Of commercial
construction. the methods Of handling
it must be kept apace with those in
commercial life.'
what we want, and what the Re-
publican party proposes to give, Is an
actual survey Of all these agencies
with a view to centralizing them in
their proper departments, bringing, so
far as possible, all related functions
under one bureau, looping off those
which are not necessary. This would
mean huge reduction in the number
Of persons now employed in govern
ment work. and the prevention Of a
vast amount Of duplication. At pres
ent we have no central administration
such as you will find in great business
corporations, to handle present prob
lens and to prepare for those Of the
future. Perhaps the best plan would
be that provided for in the Jones'
Reavis bill-create a Department Of
| Public Works to handle construction
and related problems. Establish that
department on the correct principle
that 1t may set the correct precedent,
and take tho other departments up in
their turn in order that there may be
no serious interference with routine"
"What would become of the en-
ployees who lost their jobs, Uncle
Ted?" asked Ruth. Private industries
would employ those who weer compel
ent," replied Uncle, "but you see the
way it is now, Jack, Uncle Sam with
his departments is like the old woman
who lived in a shoe, He has SO many
children he doesn't know what to do.
So, while Uncle Samuel is studying
his 'take-out-ofs' you two study your
arithmetic lessons for tomorrow and