Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1921-06-24
La PLATA. MARYLAND, JUNE "a, 1921.
STATE
CAPITAL


/ OF the State Government.
Part 2, offering reorganization
scheme. has already appeared.
Part l refers to the high cost OF
Government in Maryland. In 1919
only four States exceeded Maryland
in overhead administrative expense,
the report says. To quote that docu-
ment:
"A study of the comparative ex.
penditures Of the Governments Of the
various States as given by the United
States Bureau Of the Census, dis
closes that the State Of Maryland
ranks fifteenth among the States in
It's per capita expenditures. Il ez-
pends 1868 every year for each in.
habitant as compared TO an average
for all Of the States Of s516. Il is
interesting to note that in the States
having a more centralized organiza-
tion than Maryland the per capita
cost Of government is considerably
less. In the case of Illinois and Ne
braska, where programs for admin
istrative consolidation have been eff
fected. the per capita expenditures
for 1919 were s34S and SAP re-
spectively. The figures for 1920 ex-
penditures in Nebraska will show a
considerably lower rate. The State
OF Alabama. which also has thorough.
Iy effective control over its various
departments and institutions, expend-
ed but s3.12 in 1919.
1T is particularly significant that
only four of the States in the Union
expended more per capita for general
overhead administrative expense than
did Maryland in 1919. The State spent
s1,09 per capita for overhead as com
pared with an average of so cents
for all the States. Vermont, Rhode
Island. Arizona and Nevada are the
only States in which the overhead ad-
ministrative expense exceeded that OF
Maryland In these States local fac
tors making for particularly large ex-
penditures on this score must be
considered and they cannot properly
be compared to Maryland In the
State of Illinois, where centralized
control over the executive depart
ments had been in effect for three
years, the cost in 1919 was only As
cents per capita. In basing conclu-
sions upon these figures due consid-
GRAFTON should be given to possible
differences in the accounting basis
and the ALLEGATION OF departmental
costs.
Whether these statistics correctly
represent the relative efficiency OF
Maryland's expenditures or not. il will
be conceded that nothing should be
left undone to bring the unit costs
of the States activities down to the
lowest figures consistent with high
standard OF service"
The report criticises the policy Of
employing part-time executives, say
ing. in part:
AT the present time many of the
State officials devote only part OF
their time to their official duties.
This practice has grown up very nat
urally because OF the constitutional
or statutory restrictions on the sal
aries which may be paid to them.
At one time these salaries may have
been adequate for full-time service,
but under present-day conditions they
are not sufficient to warrant the ex-
pectation that those receiving them
will be able to cut themselves OF
from all other activities.
Furthermore. elective offices have
been looked upon as solely political
and not as of an administrative char
acter. Although the State has through
this practice in many instances OBJ
tained the services of men of high
qualifications and ability. this condi.
ton cannot in the average case or in
the g run result in economy of ad-
ministration."
In continuing this discussion the re-
port gives compliment to Major Z.
Brooke Lee. the State Comptroller,
when It remarks:
1T so happens that the present
Comptroller devotes much more of
his time to the affairs of the State
than is ordinarily expected of an
elective official
1t continues:
''The chief clerk devotes about half
his time, although he Is paid a sal
ary of $4,000 year Surely the full
time of one man adequately paid
would bring better results, dollar for
dollar. than the part-time service OF
two men inadequately compensated.
Another instance. The inadequate sal
ary authorized for the State auditor
has created situation whereby he is
forced to handle his official auditing
as more or less of side line to his
private business. This surely is not
a desirable state of affairs.
"The argument commonly advanced.
however, when such conditions are
referred to, is that even If higher
salary were appropriated the State
has no assurance of getting more |
service and would only be sure Of |
spending more money. In this, Of
course, lies the crux of the whole
difficulty. Adequate compensation,
competent personnel and thorough |
going supervision must go together.
The second cannot be secured with
out the first. and without effective
supervision the State cannot get the
benefit Of the compensation paid
Easton. The new armory of Head |