Evening star., 1922-10-29
FEDERAL STATISTICAL
REORGANIZATION URGED
Bureau of Efficiency Proposes IS Changes.
Including Recommendation That
Government Publications Be Sold.

port will say, "by concentrating, az
far as practicable, the collection. COM
pilation and dissemination of all nom
administrative statistics in central
bureau, under the same general su-
pervision, with general unity OF
method"
While instances of apparent dupll-
cation are numerous. the survey finds
that invariably they are cases where
several organizations are engaged In
the collection, compilation or publi-
cation of, statistics relating to sepa-
rate parts of the same general field
rather than to the same Identical sub
5ect.
The existing situation. however
should not be permitted to continue,
the bureau of efficiency recommends.
In the first place. it is difficult for
the present separate and unrelated
reports to obtain a complete statisti-
cal view of many important subjects.
For instance, any one desiring 10
determine the facts relating, respec-
lively, to consumption and stocks of
wool and to active and idle wool ma
chinery would have to make inquiry
of bureaus located in two separate
departments-the bureau of markets
in the Department of Agriculture and
the bureau of the census in the De-
partment of Commerce.
Wound Up in Seven Bureaus.
The student interested in the whole
range of price statistics would be
compelled to address seven or more
bureaus-the bureau of labor statis-
tics for the general range of whole
sale and retail prices; the bureau OF
foreign and domestic commerce for
import, export and certain wholesale
prices; the bureau of markets for
prices of agricultural and live stock
products after they have entered the
channels of trade; the bureau of crop
estimates for prices of goods on the
farm; the geological survey for prices
of minerals: the forest service for
lumber prices: the federal reserve
board for miscellany of prices in
this country and in foreign countries,
and the Federal Trade Commission
and the Tariff Commission for prices
of a variety of commodities studied
by them.
A second evil of the present ar
rangement-and one quite as conse-
quential, Mr.. Browns report points
QUITS the unnecessary expense and
annoyance caused producers. traders,
carriers and others by the numerous
and ili-co- ort:!ai.;ed requests Of the
government offices for information of
various kinds.
Summarizing its thirty three dis
tinct recommendations. the bureau of
efficiency proposes to Congress legis-
lation for the reorganization of the
bureau of the census; the transfer of
large number of statistical in
Guiries to the reorganized bureau;
the transfer of all vital statistical in
quiries from the bureau of the census
to the public health service; the dis
continuance OF certain statistical
work; the distribution of all statisti-
cal publications of the government
on a sale basis: the collection and
publication Of co-nrdinated statistics
relating 10 vai i:.t-il:;.I commerce,
and the changing iof the names of
two bureaus-Census and labor sta
tistics.
II tneSe Recommendations are car
ried into effect by legislation, the
bureau of efficiency believes that they
will bring about a consolidation of
field work, reduction in the number
Of QUESTIONABLE schedules, reduc-
tion Of clerical and supervisory costs.
and saving in the purchase and rental
of machine equipment for tabulation
purposes, in printing and mimeo-
graphing work and in the distribu-
ton of statistical publications.
Moreover, the bureau of efficiency
feels certain that the adoption of
these recommendations will result in
co-ordinated and unified statistics,
something that is urgently needed by
business men and by students of our
economic and social problems.