Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-24

ganixatipn win result In Immediate
economies and provide a margin of
available means to meet new demands.
The party IN power In pledged to econo-
my and efficiency and you may rest as
sured that every energy il being di-
rected to redeem that pledge to the last
degree and with all promptness
Had In Taft's Time.
''At the beginning of his administra-
ton President Taft secured from Com
gress the establishment of an economy
and efficiency commission. IT made a
comprehensive survey of activities. or
ganixation and personnel Of the whole
government establishment. The res
port on that survey was never printed.
But it is available and can be consulted
ito determine where wastases and over
lappings of function are. The present
consHss has already provided joint
committee ON the reorganization of the
administrative branch of the govern
ment A representative of the exccu-
tive will serve with this committee, SO
that there now Is in progress a thor
ough study of the whole problem. The
task viii require some time and ultimate
results must await 1t. More, II viii de-
mand resolute courage to effect the
abolition of the useless and the CO.
ordination of the useful.
Hopeful of Budget System.
But meanwhile we shall, | trust, have
a budget system in operation under the
law before the opening of the new
fiscal year.
Establishment of budget system Is
the foundation on which regulation Is
based. 1t is hardly conceivable. indeed,
that a proper budget system could be
established. and carried on for any con-
siderable time without forcing atten-
tion TO the evils and effecting the reform
of many deficiencies in the present sys-
tenn. But the hudgat program will not
do everything There must still be
much and continuing effort to keep
expenses down to insure fun value for
every dollar of the tax PAYERS mo-ey
the government spends.
"Stony Hearted Work Ahead.
TOO much stress cannot be laid on
the fact that eternal vigilance is the
price of economy and efficiency. 1t re-
quires persistent determined. stony
hearted devotion to the public interest.
There must be utter sacrifice of all
sympathy for the placeholder whose
real reason for keeping his position Is
that he wants the salary. The men
who conscientiously and intelligently
do this work must not expect to pop
ularize themselves with the office hold
ers or with the liberal spenders. Even
the administration which devotes it
self relentlessly to such work must under
stand that it will lose a good deal of
immediate loyalty on the part of GER
tain class of politicians which will not
be compensated to it at once in the ap-
probation of the public; for the public
will not have the deep, immediate i'm
terest, or the active concern which will
animate the person who finds himself
being pried loose from the purse strings.
Asks PubIic's Approval.
Nevertheless. thanl1Iess and ungrac-
ious as the task viii be for most of
those who devote their efforts to it, il
must and viii be attacked. il is being
with all determination Some
thing can be done even pending the ef-
fecive inauguration of the budget and
the survey by the joint committee to-
ward bettering conditions. In all the
/ may say, TO you, this
sort of work is already progressing un-
der executive orders within the power
of the executive. We shall need the full
support of enlightened public opinion
and, realizing this. am glad that such
bodies as the academy of political sci
ence. the United States Chamber Of
Commerce. the engineering societies
and business organizations genarally
are studying and discussing these ques-
tions. Out OF such counsels win come
f4ta1- sa41prpafa tfpu ~ the f5if9iNulrfaS "a r11
of government business, a
larger sense OF public responsibility and
a highly desirable cooperation between
public and private business for the
common good
ing of the New York Commercial news