South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-03-05
STATE EXECUTIVE
URGES EFFICIENCY
FOR GOVERNMENTS
Gov. Davis Would Put Corpor,
alton Exactness Into
Work Of Politics.
- Gov. DAVIS on OHIO.

sis r. your Eovcrument-and that
means your business. for YOU are
partner In the American government
boo frt as well as theory. 10 be con-
au.taf on lines other than good BUSH
Dos. Hncr1 If 10 be sO--why2 Good
business means the successful con-
.-...uE OF "a commercial pursuit In
general sense but 30 also means tho
.l-eessful pursuit ~ any activity Of
creative sort a productive sort or
CON fructive sort. Surely govern
r.anf municipal. state. or federal
rrt Dee creative constructive. pro-
.arfIve and commercially sound IL
f. government is 20 succeed.
DID tho face oil this obvious reason
lr there arc thousands Of citizens
.r tle United States today who de-
.re the faIlacv. business and poll
t. 10 not mix tho foundation Of
t.r own lack of interest. lack Of
active Cifizensh ip-cxercising tho
r-.f Of suffrage-and lack OF belief
Iu tha very institutions that make Of
tHem citizens
The attempt 20 put business and
politics iu their relationship toward
prr another. in somewhat the Same
relationship ass oil and water is both
Unfortunate and unwarranted.
Ir the theory behind it was that
tIe business man cannot and should
not actively interest himself in polit-
i.aI afrairs. 10 was wrong in premise
and principle. for as the citizens
participation increases I'm political
Ite there results better politics and
better government
For. in the last analysis. politics
of course is but the science Of gov
eminent.
Then again. If the supposed un-
fu.zabIc status of business and poll
tics related 90 practical application
to the affairs of government, OF the
methods that are fundamental TO
modern business practice. the dec
I4ratiou was even more inapt and
untrue.
Politics and business do miX-and
of ul times. the need for generous
admixture of business into our affairs
of government has probably never
been more striking and urgent than
u0w-struggllug as we are under the
drastic reaction of the war and the
unparalleled financial burden with
which IT has left ms.
Business Makes Ready.
Business many months ago senscd
the beginning of the reaction from
tho artificial war time boom, and
quietly. unostentatiously prepared
itself TO meet the depression 80 saw
coming. and 20 begin adjustment to
the changing conditions. Retrench-
ment became the watchword. Econ
Gen. g ION
q higher degree Of efficiency was in
icctod into business operation. The
immediate result las been that bust
ness has curtailed its expenses prac-
rcaUg to- the pre-war basis, and is
gearing MP its productive efficiency
per dollar of operating cost 20 "a
point FAR beyond the record of the
last few years.
business thus made itself ready 10
cope veith the new order of things
following I'm the wake of the world
conflict
Eut the problem Of today is far
more complex than can be mot by
private initiative alone. IL is too
closely connected with governmental
operation not 90 require govern
mental action to help i'm its solution.
Iu great measure BE- is financial
problem.
Cost of government during re-
Ccuc years increased apaCe with the
cost of an else And today. with
changed conditions. it is primarily
essential for the general welfare that
tho cost of government be brought
back down to a basis i'm keeping
with retrouchments found necessary
iu private undertaking. Govern
lncu.II service must continue uudi-
mlnishcd bur 1T must be performed
at cost far below that of late years.
Tho problem was of two-fold
aspect first from the standpoint of
future operating cost OF government.
and second. with respect 20 dis
charge of the financial war obuEa-
Iers
On tho manner with which this
dual problem is handled largely de
ponds our entire economic future.
Government Cost Up.
The ordinary operation OF the gov
eminent OF the United States cost
about nine times as much last year
as DC did in 1915. And beyond that
was tile cost which could mot be met
lg taxation and had TO be taken
care Of by borrowing special
uar cost los which the national debt
was boosted 90 about -u times the
size 10 was five years ago.
The country today is required 90
Hag practically as much In annual
interest charges on the public debt
a- the amount Of the debt itself back
lu 1915. and that without even besin-
ming 90 provide for reduction of the
debit
Add 10 all this the vastly increased
cost OF operating state and muui-
t.raI governments and a conception
- gained OF the tremendous burden
tne taxpayer has 90 bear today. 1T
D. the greatest burden he has ever
been compelled Co carry.
Iu 1915, the per capita cost OF the
rlred States government was about
>-LS- In 1920. it cost virtually $64
..- every man. woman and child iu
t.e United States 90 operate the fed
,rIl government. and during the
...ll year OK 1927. about SOL
Debts Fall Due.
and that has not included adc-
.aate provision for the retirement OF
SD much OF che public debt as is OF
short maturity. Secretary Of the
treasury A. rs. Mellon has pointed
.l- that within the next two years.
about seven and one-half billions of
-aort-dated debt. or about SIS for
every person n the country. VIII fan
due. Also that only about one
billion dollars viii be available for
such retirement az that time. and
t.4t other arrangements 20 carry
l.e balance viii have 20 be made.
LELat reau-l1 n has already been