Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-02-09
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union

By EDWARD C.LOWRY

I
eminent employment. The Bureau of
the Budget has been organized and
Is in operation under the direction of
Charles G. Dawes.
Both houses of congress are work.
Ing on the problem OF reclassification
Of government positions and salaries
The Veterans bureau has been or
of war risk insurance, that part of
the public health service which had
| to do with veterans. and all OF the
| work of the federal board for yoca-
| tlonal education except that part
| which had to do with the treatment of
persons injured in the industries.
There is also the inquiry being made
by the joint committee OH the re-
| organization of the administrative
branch OF the government OF the two
house OF congress, OF which / have
spoken. Walter +. Brown OF Ohio is
| chairman Of this committee, represent
Ing President Harding. The members
OF the committee are, on the part Of
| the senate, Senators Smoot OF Utah,
Harrison OF Mississippi and Wads-
worth of New York. The members OH
the part Of the house are Repre-
sentatives Reayis OF Nebraska. Temple
OF Pennsylvania and Moore Of Virginia.
The job of this joint committee Is
10 make a survey Of the admnistra-
tive services of the government for The
purpose Of securing all pertinent facts
regarding their powers and duties,
T their distribution among the several
executive departments, and the over
tapping and duplication Of authority
In reporting the resolution from the
judiciary committee TO the house the
members were told
1t is matter OF common knowledge
that millions OF dollars are wasted by
the government by the almost endless
duplication OF activities. There has been
no fundamental change i'm the admins
trative activities since the organization
was devised by Alexander Hamilton, and
the result s that activities entirely out
OF harmony with the functions OF depart
ments have grown with the passing years
until the government of the United States
has become not only the biggest business
= in the world but the worlds worst man
aged business.
The purpose OF the resolution IL 10
ascertain so far as possible the extent
of the overlapping and duplication Of &C
tivities with the view that numerous
commissions and bureaus may be eliin-
mated and great saving effected in the
governmental expenditures The commit
tee feels that no more constructive lesis-
lation is possible under existing condi-
lions than the legislation proposed By
the resolution. With the present cond-
dens the people suffer because Of exces-
sive taxation. any legislative measure
looking TO real economy should commend
itself 10 the sympathetic attention OF the
house. and we feel that the passage OF
this resolution and the work OF the COM
mittee which will be done under its au-
thority will result in the saving OF mil
/ lions annually.
1t can be predicted with considerable
assurance that nothing will come of
this proposed voyage Of discovery I'M
less we, the shareholders in the enter
prise, maintain an active, lively, sus-
tanned interest in IL. One thing is al
ways true of the house of repre-
sentatives-it Is representative IL
we breathe warmly upon il. It glOws.
If we are Indifferent il becomes cold.
This isn't the first time that a plan
has been set in motion to find out
something about how the governments
business is conducted.
The earliest inquiry into the al.
mlnistrative methods of the executive
departments was made by the Cockrell
commission i'm 1887. Six years later
in 1893, a joint commission. OF which
Representative DOckery was chairman.
was appointed to. examine the status
Of the laws organizing the depart.
ments. President Roosevelt in 1908
named an interdepartmental committee,
OF which G. II. Keep, assistant secre-
tary OF the treasury, was chairman. to
consider department methods. presl-
dent Taft in turn. In 1910, named a
commission on economy and efficiency
OF which Frederick Cleveland was
chairman.
nothing came OF these enterprises.
You and commonly and vaguely
known as the public-were not In
terested. and neither was congress.
That ended 1t.
But just now. at this moment, we
have the best chance we ever had to
find out about our common business
and how To improve Ii and lessen it's
cost TO us. The burden OF supporting
II Is heavier than ever before.
You will perhaps notice all through
these articles that the information
supplied me about the general facts
Of government employment and govern
ment business are In terms Of
estimates and approximations. This
| Is one OF the defects of government
organization. 1t Is so large and so
| forpless, and its parts so unrelated,
that exact and precise information
about the whole Is virtually unob.
| tainable.
II il Of the greatest urgency and
need that the people shall know
about their government, but they will
ind II difficult to learn. until the gov
eminent knows about itself.
L