The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-05-16

lack of efficiency is in measure due to
our lack of co-ordinating force, and
that cannot be- established with political
interference
The budget committee comes the near
est to filling this need, but its principal
function in the past seems to have been
to prepare budgets, suggest changes ana
provide funds for emergencies, etc.
Il Will quote one of the sections too3)
of the General Laws relating to the
budget committee
Said committee shall meet at Mont,
pelier at least every six months ana
oftener if requested by the governor, and
shall examine the financial condition OF
all state departments and institutions
and shall have authority to take any
means it deems, necessary to enforce the
provisions of the budget and ascertain
whether or not such departments and in
StitutionS are being operated at mini
mum expense consistent with efficiency
and within the appropriations as pro-
yided in the budget and may make such.
suggestions and orders as it deems adj
yisable.'
Should Probe Deeply. .
"In view of the fact of the serious
handicap under which our departments
are functioning. we should carry our in
vestigatien far enough to make certain
definite recommendations for change of
methods of management that will ulti-
mately bring our efficiency on par with
high grade private business organiza-
tions. To this end | wish to present for
consideration some of the elements of
the economic conditions existing when
| our state was founded The rapid
| changes of even the last few decades
| have produced changes of far reaching
| significance. Today we are facing prob
1 lens of government that are distinctly
economic problems.
1T will not be necessary to go into
| all the elements that have led up to Gre
ating the great change in the scheme of
life .-
Briefly outlined, as individuals and
communities we have left the old scheme
Of producing our food, raiment and
shelter and we now have become special
| lists. producing a very narrow range OF
things and depending on trading with
others to obtain the things we ourselves
do not produce. -1 -.s
THE great extension of the use OF
machinery as an aid in production and
transportation has made possible this
more efficient way of using human ener,
gies A days work, aided by machinery
in some instances. produces a value 1OC
or ]. 900 times the value produced by a
days work of a man 30 years ago. This
change involves a high degree of admin
istrative ability that all states have beer
have our people become in details of the
systems Of work of today that the
method of government has received in
| sufficient study. s..t. 81.
Government Methods Obsolete.
Along with the development of the
intricacies Of machinery and the great
cnrnplexity of all forms of business
producing, transporting and exchanging
the human race has had a one-sidet
development. We have achieved grea
things in the field of science and by thu
aid of these discoveries we have built
up wonderful systems in which millions
OF workers have their energies co-Ordi
mated While these steps have beer
taken in a rational manner and haV
changed the habit of work of millions o
people. the fact remains that our hab
lis of government persist beyond the pc
Iriod for which they were established.
psychologists and biologists agre
that we are largely creatures of habr
! and that our reason has only a secondar,
influence. On account of this fact w
have seen 50 many failures in nationa
governments. 1t is the dominance o
= | the primitive habit that inclines an I'm
Dortant part of Europe to anarchy i
> | it's various forms. There is a desire 70
! IindeDendent action and an Unborn OF
lection TO centralized planning that
r necessary in this day of modern intri
/ | eacy. a.
finance and general business there ha
been forced a high degree of cO-ordina
, ton. otherwise we would still have bee
+ making our own wagons; there would b
! no automobiles, no watches and yer
; few of the many things that now cor
, tribute to the essentials of our daily lif'
e Apply Corporate Methods.
1T would be futile to suggest an i'll
portant change in our scheme of manage
! ment of the state if we did not have |
: | our possession this one great ec0nOmi
: | fact. that the method Of highly develope
: | private corporations applied to our stat
! work would save US ut the present tim
50. 500. 600 annually. and would establiS
, conditions by which the workers in othC
= and every other branch of the wor
would have the pleasure and Satlsfa
- | ton of working in efficient units, an
i would be able to go aut from such
!. working force and join another with a
. ability to hold their own in competitio
i with others.
= This last point is not the least ,
- the important questions the state worl
a ers must face. 1t is no recOmmendatlo
. for a man in applying for position
a private corporation to say that he hi
d. held a governmental office; on the 9th
- hand a man holding his own in n pr
=, tate corporation of high standing has
i record that is very valuable and set
= habits that makes it easy for him
= play an important part in some 9th
= similar organization.
,e Help Private Business.
e "Still another reason for changing Il
e spirit of our state organizations is 4
indirect effect on the private organic
tons in the state. for there are maj
private organizations in which the spil
~ of work is of a kind that does not ma
g for progress and could not compete wi
II live competition.
Is 4 am dwelling on this question
III possibility of carrying through sor
q plan of betterment of state service,
'e cause there may be a feeling that an
4 thing that departs from habit actit
$ would fail to meet the approval of IN,
{. who have been engaged in state work
p nnr legislators who would have the fin