The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-06

ESCGuS R0OakCASIon ~ VIC AAASSAssAsS
for government research entitled
THE National Park Service, has
brought to the attention Of con-
gressmen and departmental execu-
tives in Washington an important
activity now going on in their
midst. The executive branch Of
the government for the first time
is being analysed, inventoried, and
put down ON paper. In few
months or years, at most, this great
organization which We call the
government, which employs direct
ly the services Of 100000 persons,
and which is so. vast and intricate
that even those best acquainted
with it are continually being sur
prised BY its activities. will be an
open book to those who take the
trouble to read this remarkable
series OF bulletins.
The institute for government re-
search il an outgrowth and further
development Of President Taft'a
commission on efficiency and econ
omy. 1t is, however. NO longer an
official organization, but ID support
ed wholly by private contributions
The institute now consists Of q
body of trained political scientists
who as volunteer agents for the
public are studying the government
with the view eventually of making
it more efficient. The director OF
this work. is W.T. Willoughby, who
was a member Of the Taft commits
sion. The chairman Of the insti,
tute is DR.. Robert S. Br00kings
who during the war welded enOr.
nous power as chairman OF the
price fixing committee Of the wal
industries board.
The object of the institute is. as
stated, to bring about greater Elf
cheney in the operation of the gov.
eminent departments; but before
reorganizing an executive mechan'
ism it is necessary to know what
that mechanism is doing. Aw9s
| back in President Taft's admins
tration the commission on eff
cheney and economy discovered thai
| no one knew what the government,
was doing. The work was too grea'
and too rami.ied to be comprised
by any one mind. Work was being
| duplicated and Implicated in mum
erous instances because one branch
of the government was unaware
that some other branch was en-
gagged in the same line of research
Because Of the size Of the govern
ment and because of the way il
which the various departments hat
been built up, it was impossible
for any one directing head to know
the details Of what was going on.
Consequently, it was decided tina
the first step in reform must be al
inventory Of all government activi
ties. This job the institute fol
government research tackled sool
after it was organized in 1916. 1
adopted the simple plan of goint
Into the various bureaus one b!
one and showing the work each wa!
doing. When all have been ana
Ifyzed In this way, the duplication
of effort will show up automatic
ally. Two bureaus-the reclama
ton service and the geological sur
vey-were investigated in 1916 ant
1917. Then the war came aloni
and stopped the work for tw'
years or so.
Great Work Already Done.
When the institute once more or
gained it's staff it took up the tasl
again with vigor. Twenty-Five
monographs, each one dealing witt
the work Of a separate executive
division of the government, nov
either have been published or ar
nearing publication. About 40 9th
er Investigations are planned a
present, and some Of them are be
ing made, and it is possible tina
the monographs will be closed t
100 in number before the Who'll
government is analysed. Beside
the monograph on the reclamatio
sevice and geological survey. thos
now published include studies c
the bureau of mines, Alaskan en-
cheering commission. fedora
board of vocational education, fed
eral trade commission. tariff CON
mission, steamboat inspectio
service. employees compensate
commission, weather bureau, bu