The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-02-04
cepytIght. we.leIn Nswspapsr UaIon
XVIII.
READ LANES DIAGNOSIS

IN ms maj report 10 the PRESIDENT
upon completing his work as secre-
tary Of the interior, Franklin X. Lane
sketched with a sure hand ont Of the
abundance Of his experience the pres
ent Washington condition:
The call IS Tor thinking. planning engi-
neerlug, craftsmanship. For we are quick-
~ passing out OF the rough-and
period Of our national life. 10 which we
have dealt wholesale with men and
things. into a period Of more intensive
development IN which we must seek 10
| find the special qualities Of the individual
unit, whether that unit be an acre Of
desert, a barrel Of OIL, mountain
canyon. the How OF river or the capac-
tty OF the humblest OF men.
To conquer and 90 master-the same
! old task IS ou-s. but not in the same old
way We have discovered tBis land ana
made il ours but this is not the end
OF ON journey. Tor now We are TO give
thought, The deepest thought. 70 the ways
IN which IL may be made to yield most
abundantly IN the things which q SOM
pick society with a most imperous curl
osity demands
Washington IS combination ~ poilu-
cal caucus drawing-room and ciyil serv-
| Ice bureaus 10 contains statesmen who
are politicians and politicians who are
not statceuen. IL Is rich I'm brains and
IN character il is-honest beyond any
commercial standard. II wishes to 10
everything that will promote The public
good But IL iB poorly organized FOR the
task that belongs 10 II. Fewer men OF
larger capacity would 10 the task better
ABILITY BE- not lacking but ii Is pressed
TO tie point OF paralysis because Of an
intiniude OF details and an unWllineuess
on the part Of the great body Of public
servants 10 take responsibility Every
one seems 20 be afraid OF everyone. Tha
self-protecuye sense is developed abnor.
mally, the creative sense atrophIes Trust,
confidence euthusiasm-these simple WIG
tues Of all great business are tie ones
most lacking In government orgu nizati0n.
We have so many checks and brakes
upon our work that our progress does
not keep pace with the nations require
ments. We could save money Tor the
government n we had more discretion as
to how We should use that given U.s.
For the body OF the ciyil servants there
should be quicker promotion or discharge
and sure insurance when disability
comes. Fer the higher administrative
officers there should be salaries twice as
high as those now given. anI they should
be made 70 feel that they are tie ones
responsible for the work Of the depart
ment. The head being merely an adviser
and a constructor OF policies.
As matters are now devised there are
too few IN the government whose BUSH
ness IL IL 10 plan. Every man Is held 10
dotail. 10 the narrower view. which comes
TOO often 90 be the department view or
some go, OF parochial view We need
Tor the day that IS here and upon US
mon who have l.tte 90 do but study the
problems OK the time and test their ca
I pacity AZ meeting them. IN a word. we
need more opportunity for planning en-
cheering. statesmanship above and more
hHed authority and responsibility below
The employment methods Of the gov
eminent could be improved. Under
the civil service law Of 1883 good
system Of competitive examinations
and appointments on merit has been
built up for the classes of positions
covered by the law. But beyond GER
tificatlon by the civil service commits.
sion for appointment Of those appli-
cants who are proved by examination
TO be eligible, the merit system Is not
fully operative even In connection With
the positions to which II applies. Hap
hazard practices iH assignments of
work and In promotions. over which
no central authority has Jurisdiction.
have brought about inequalities which
are discOuragiug TO the workers. This
condition and the relatively low sal
aries paid by the government cause
u turnover" in government forces
that could not long be withstood by
a private business.
The REIMBURSEMENT Of government
salaries in the District of Columbia
has recently received the attention
of the joint commission on. reCaSsiil-
cation OF salaries, which was author
lied by a provision in the legislative,
executive and judicial appropriation
act approved March l. 1919. The re.
port Of this commission is now in The
hands of congress and its fate remains
TO be seen. The report represents
many months Of work and an effort to
present data which viii enable con
gress to understand conditions as they
exist.
The present civll service law was
enacted to correct the evils Of the
"spoils system which had become in
.tolerable. That the plan provided by
the law, that of appointments through
competitive examinations for certain