The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-24
Economy to Rule Even if a
Certain Class of Pohticii-
ans Are Offended, Mr..
Harding Declares in ADJ
dress

NC" foEk, way CS-' NC do''''h-
istration's purpose to place the
Federal government on sound
business basis, even at the cost Of
! offending "a certain class of poll
ticians, was reaffrmed by Presi-
dent Harding today in an address
here at luncheon Of the Academy
Of Political Science.
The task, tho President declared,
already had shown that to be sue
cessfuIly completed would require
persistent, determined. stony
hearted devotion to the public In
terest," without a trace Of sympa-
thy for the officeholder whose only
excuse for drawing a salary is that
ne needs the money.
Loss Of a certain sort Of prestige tc
the administration. Mr. Harding said
was certain TO result, though il might
be compensated in the long nun by 4
realization Of the good accomplished
for the general public.
Recapitulating the work already
done by the reorganization commission
created by Congress. and by executive
: dent said considerable progress was
promised for the immediate future
He predicted that the reorganization
task would be a long one. however. and
asked for the cooperation and support
OF citizens everywhere and invited suG
Gestions as 10 ways and means.
Text Of Address.
The text Of the Presidents address
follows. in part
Everywhere we turn We note that
government has in recent time as
sumed a more complex relationship 10
the public forces than it ever sustained
before. The mobilization OF man pow
er. industrial forces and financial re
sources, which was made necessary in
the wars exigencies. could only have
been accomplished through the exer
ton of the utmost powers Of govern
ment.
Those powers were eXerted 10 the
extreme limit and stupeDdouSly import
ant results were attained. As reSu'
Of that demonstration OF government :
capacity TO force great results IN emrr'
gencies. there has grown ur Schoo
OF thought which assumes that even N
time OF peace the same autocrat!c au'
thority might we'll br exercised In the
general interest. Many men thought
lcssly urged that government take over
the control even the conduct. or many
industries and facilities during the war
there followed great increase in wages
n vast expansion Of business activity
therefore why not aSSum" that continu'
n
in time Of peace would rnahl" r"ntinu'
ance Of the same libcrality in cempensa'
ton and profits. tn" same lntenS" busl'
ness activity"
Burden Must Be Lightsnsd
Those who look below the Surfa &c
know that the things which govern
ments accomplished during the wal
were accomplished at a staggering cost
n cost which society could not bear FOL
long: Il cost tina; society hurden"d Win
debts will mortgage generations Of
the future. They know that the fever
ish seeming OF prosperity was not gen
ulne, but was possible only because So
ciety was literally hurning ur its stocks
Of CAPITAL; and that this destruction 81
capital was responsible for the reaction
and depression which are now felt. uni
versally. In this process the burdens
OF government were immensely increas'
cd. and il Is for US now to nnd means OF
Tightening those burdens.
The Government Policy
Government TO a greater extent now
than ever before Is under obligation "a
give the greatest scrviC" for the lowest
possible cost. But il is for certain OBJ
I vious reasons difficult TO do this be-
cause government; is not under the ne
cess!ty to earn profits. nor to obey laws
that regulate competition. These are
the prime guarantees Of the efficiency
and fair dealing in private business.
They do not apply. 10 government; and
therefore government should bc placed
SO far as possible in n strict way or the
methods which are applied IN private
business To secure these ends
Gu"crnmen; should nc broad. con-
scicntious and Intelligent enough tn sub
jcct itsnlf TO these rules. despite that
it's quality OF sovereignty which would
place Il beyond them IL il chose TO as
sumo that position. Every principle and
device which promotes efficiency in pri-
vatc business should be adapted and ap-
piled in government affairs. I will truS,
the public official who decides his pub
lie problem as though II were his very
own
Efficiency = Difficult Task
ITO bring economy and efficiency in'0
government is task second to none In
difficulty. Few people. in or out OF IN"
government have any conception "f the
growth OF government business in the
last decades before the World War. still!
fewer at all realize III" pace To which
the growth has been Sp"rdrd up since
the war started. The multiplication of
departments. bureaus. divisions funC'