Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-06-21
By EDWARD G.LOWRY
Copyright, Western Newspaper Union
xxx.
WRITE TO THESE MEN.

The chief defects, or places where
waste is apparent In the conduct Of
the business Of the government, that
have pointed out In these articles,
have been, first, the excessive proper
ton of the government income that
went for military expenditures; sec
ond, the chaotic condition and lack
of adequate supervision and control
Of expenditures, which have been in
part remedied by the introduction Of
the budget system and third, the hap
hazard organization Of the govern
ment departments and the morgan
lied condition that prevailed In gov
eminent employment.
The remedy for two of these condi-
tons I have treated briefly In the
two Immediately preceding articles. l
come now to the matter of reorganiza-
ton Of the departments and the re-
classification of government en-
ployees. A beginning has been made
on both Of these matters.
A joint committee of the two houses
Of congress. with Walter F. Brown as
chairman, is studying the whole ques-
ton Of organization Of the government
and the function of the various de-
partments and bureaus and independ-
ent establishments. cannot too
in contact with the work that joint
committee is doing.
have given you the names Of the
members Of the committee in another
article but will repeat them here.
They are Senators Smoot Of Utah,
of Mississippi; Representatives Reavis
Of Nebraska, Temple Of Pennsylvania
and Moore Of Virginia. Write to any
Of them or to Mr.. Brown, the chair
man Of the committee, who represents
the President, with headquarters in
the house Office building here at Wash
ington.
This is the third or fourth attempt
that has been made to effect a general
reorganization of the conduct Of the
business Of the executive departments.
They have all failed through lack Of
interest. There was lack of public in
terest, and consequently lack of inter-
est In congress.
This joint committee is at work now.
1t is collecting facts. 1t Is finding out
the actual condition. 1t is studying
the departments. Presently it will
make report to congress. If you
will show an active, insistent interest
in the work that it is doing, congress
will take action. If you do not show
this interest, there is every chance in
the world that no action will be taken,
and that things will remain much as
ever,
Hundreds Of special interests are
clamoring for the attention of con-
gress All Of them are organized.
Most Of them keep representatives
here at Washington. They present to
individual members of congress in a
hundred skillful, shrewd, subtle ways
arguments to support the legislation
they are seeking to advance 1t would
take two or three columns of this
newspaper merely to print list of
the organizations and associations that
are here to keep congress mindful Of
their interests.
In this great clamor the common
public interest is likely to be SUBJ
merged. In fact, too often it has been
submerged. This matter of economies
and reorganizing the business of the
government and taking up the tedious
details Of administration is dull bust
ness. 1t has been neglected and put
off time after time because of a lack
of public interest and driving force
behind it.
If you will supply this driving force
now and display a sustained interest,
you can at least put the business Of
government of the United States on
an efficient basis. Congress has been
negligent because you have been negli-
gent, but now at last the thing has
run along so far that something must
be done about 1t.