Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-02-25
BUREAUCRACY.


unthlnkingIy aid in perpetuating it. The
/ tendency seems to be along the line OF
least resistance and consequently clever
! propagandists are leading free people
| into the woke of bureaucracy under the
cloak Of efficiency" in government. Even
! though the dangers of such method be
shouted from the housetops and pro-
claimed throughout the land through ev-
cry channel Of publicity, many men and
women will continue bllndIy to follow
the lead of the bureaucrat.
This condition is due to- the clever work
! of the bureaucratic propagandist. He is
wise enough to evade the undesirable
phases of bureaucracy and camahouges
them when they threaten to embarrass
or retard his work. These departures
from the principles OF American Govern
/ ment rarely are attempted openly, as for
the purpose of control, but usually
through roundabout methods and IN
scattered" attacks later to be coordl-
mated or consolidated. History shows
that bureaucracy has made It's first IN
roads and greatest development almost
universally under the guise OF puphc
| welfare" Thus. 1t secures attention
and by this means establishes control
of the public thougtt-for real welfare
subject by which the propagandlsf
easily arouses fear and induces action
No thinking person would criticize the
nroper safeguarding of public welfare
and what IS said here is not in criticism
of anv work that is sane and reasonable
along that line The danger lies N the
! fact that the scheme does not END there
but leads into every phase Of existence.
It touches industry, education, soclai
life. religion and the home. 1t grows
from a few regulators" into hungry
honrd Of parasites without regard to the
rights of others
The birthplace Of bureaucratic rule
was middle Europe. The best Illustration
of its effect and evils upon a government
and a peopIe is Russia. One Of the ricn-
est domains in natural resources IN the
world. possessed Of unlimited man power
for It's development, II was despoiled'
robbed, starved and kicked about by op-
InortnnIsts. Years of rotten to-the-core
bureaucracy. administered under the
graft rule Of offlciausm destroyed lndl-
vidualisn. killed initiative and produced
rutnous taxation. Shall we repeat the
arnarinpnt in America? The tentacles
Of bureaucracy are already fastened upon
our country and the system IS growing
nv leaps and bounds. 1t is a menace 10
our Government, the greatest ana pest
ever devised by man. and 1t must Oe ue
stroyed The principles OF Ainerl can
Covernuent are not mere hlstorlcAI
ideals These principles are clearly stat
cd in the Constitution and they are prac-
teal and living applications of poIltlca'
truths. However, they are in grave uan
ger of being ignored by the bureaucratic
tendencies Of the present day, Tor the
growth of q system Of government by
bureaus has invariably marked the g
ginning of the decadence OF the naLlon
which permits this system, with It's re-
sultant evils E.,
We seem to be living In an age III
which the opportunist thrives. Inc OPP
nortunist is that individual who MAKES
the most out Of O present condition WIN
M regard to the lessons Of the past or
the ultimate effect Of his action on the
frtura He Is responsible for some OF
the most blatant evils Of the bureaucratic
system and is aided in his propagahoa
ana progress by blind enthusiasts ana
multitudes of persistent seekers for pun
lie patronage. This disregard OF all real
knowledge OF government leaos 10 lno
're-dele&ation Of law making powers the
naturalization Of officials and petty ounces
and into the complicated overlapping Vi
bproaus The New York Evening Post
different bureaus have something 70 40
with foreign commerce, seven with 40
nestle commerce, fifteen to education OF
one sort or another, ten engaged 10 pun
Tic health work, sixteen In chemlcai re-
search. seven are concerned with olsaCleu
soldiers. fourteen with pubic ANUS
tweDty-four do surveying and fnapphls'
twenty-five do engineering and research
sixteen are engaged In road cohseru'-
ton. twenty FIVE direct or supervise
buildings and grounds, nine are con
cerned with aeronautics, seven Win aus
tan affairs. nine with navigation and mer-
chant seamen, fifteen with rivers MA
barbors nineteen with hydraulic con
struction." and so on. indefinitely.
since that quotation was written the
LIST has had many more bureaus aided 70
~ with remiications into hundreds OF
smaller boards. The overlapping, inter
ference and bungling which goes on DC
cause Of this system, would years ago
have wrecked any country except lhlS-
+ha richest country in the world. 1t has
been only because Of our reckless spend
ing OF our principal (the natural re-
sources) that we have been able to bear
the burden.
This condition not only exists and IN
! grasses In Washington but also In every
State of the Union. State governments
are rapidly becoming centralized In bu-
reaus and commissions. operated through
re-delegation of legislative power Unless
checked, many Of the State bureaus evil
IDENTIFY are destined to become a part OF
the National scheme. The ywiu fur-
nish readv-made organizations to fit into
+ha enlarging centralized bureaucratic
control Of Government in Washington
Peonle have not the faintest conception
Of the tremendous propaganda that is
being waged in Washington and, in fact,
everywhere and through every known
channel, by various organizations, under
the leadership of burcaucrats to Increase
their power and create more easy Jobs
These bureaucrats seem to be endowed
with the belief that they are infallible,
possessed Of superior knowledge, gifted
with business acumen beyond that OF
other men and because of their position
as Government employees, are qualified
to teach all others how to operate to
best advantage. In other words, they
are growing under the firm conviction
that they are of the ruling class and
must govern the rest Of the people in
stead Of serve them.
Government control Of business and its
bunglesome interference with it, has
grown to such large proportions that
men and institutions are compelled to
employ large forces of clerks and Oper-
ate under heavy expense I'm order to get
out the reports and keep the records re-
uuired by the Government There is
too little efficient business in government
pDTATNT1TrS IT'D rAmTTE