Arizona republican., 1921-02-08

The former plan involving the group ing Of the activities of the present of fees and commissions under eight heads and clearly defining their group ing, appeared to enjoy the favor of the governor for the reason that 1t could be enforced more quickly. But the second, req ing constitutional changes, providing for the election of only two offices, each for term of four years the governor and the au ditor, was the more appealing, except for the time that would be required to make it effective.
 Along with the special message there had been placed in the hands of each member of the legislature a pamphlet containing an outline at length of each plan and blue print charts of the two plans as well as one of the present archaic plan The special message of the governor follows:
 The Governors Message
 To the Members of the Fifth Arizona
 State Legislature:
 The one real object of government is service. Failing in that it does not serve its purpose. There Is a growing tendency on the part of the people to weigh government in the balance. and if found wanting. to demand a change. No question as to the goundness of the principles upon which our goyern- ment is founded, has arisen. but ex- perience demonstrates in many 1n- stances that our machinery is anti auated and our methods of adrninis- traitor cum bersome unwieldy, expen- sive and inefficient. During the past two years this truth has been so inn pressed upon me in respect to the gov ernment of the state of Arizona that 1t has grown into deep rooted con- viction that changes are necessary, and I would be recreant to my duty, did I ilx- h.a xr4af4 n consideration and whatever action you deem expedient to take.
 In the beginning the basic principle upon which this republic was founded was the preservation of order and the liberties of the people, through bal ance between the executive, legislative and judicial departments. As the country developed and life became more complex through discovery and inven- tion, new burdens were cast upon the state. To discharge these duties, boards, bureaus and commissions were created. Arizona in the formation of it's state government. followed the modern trend of government building. and since that time has added many departments to those created by tho constitution. As a result there are to- day more than 90 separate offices. boards commissions, departments bu- reaus and other agencies. answerabis practically to no authority and subject to no supervision or direction. Little thought evidently was given, at thc time of their creation, as to the effect their individual operation might have upon the state government as a whole In consequence we find these boards, commissions etc, functioning sepa- rate and distinct, one from the other, instead of their activities being CO., ordinated under departmental heads with less cost and increased effective I'M. ft-xs. E.I1 loose and unbusinesslilSe system daily become more manifest. Where there should be harmony, discord exists: where there should be economy, thera is extravaganza; where there should be efficiency, there is incapacity and a slowing down of the machinery of government.
 In some instances there is a patent lack of sufficient authority. and in others too much authority or the in clination to assume powers which should not rightfully be exercised. From the standpoint of economy the situation is more vicious. Duplication and overlapping are always expensive. but doubly so when their ramificarions extend into every form of state en- deavor. Practices which would never be countenanced by private business accepted habits with us. There is ;s woeful lack of CO., ordination and our efforts and service are disjointed in stead of being commercially applied for the common good: in other words our state government, l found was drifting rapidly towards decentralization and disintegration.
 While I appreciate the dangers of experimentation in governmental re- construction and ordinarily would feel hesitant in making suggestions on such a subject, study of what other states had done along this line, notably Iln nois, Nebraska and Idaho, has provid- ed convincing evidence that l would not be launching our ship of state on uncharted seas. Before taking definite action, however, 1 requisidoned the services of pr. E. A. Buck, perhaps the most prominent man in this line of endeavor in the United States. The result of his labors is embodied in the special message now on your desks, offering two plans, one legislative and the other constitutional, for the re- organization of our government, and designed to put into effect principles of the Illinois civil administrative code as enumerated bY Governor Lowden in his message to the legislature of that state, from which I quote as follows:
 Tn its provisions (the civil adminis- tratiYe code) are embodied the follow
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