Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-07-31

-. u, July Eb.-In0
United States government is the big
gest business institution in the world.
1t was big in the days when Uncle Joe
Cannon replied to criticism of a Bill
lion Dollar Congress" by stating that
this is a billion dollar country" and
then adding that this country Is a
hell of a success" It is much larger
now
1t has not grown as ordinary bust
ness establishments grow by the ap-
plicatiOn of strictly business methods
and principles, however. 1t i; not
a monument to efficiency rules and
practices. A commercial, industrial
or financial institution that had at
tanned such proportions y would owe
its success to astute and careful man.
agement and would be so organized
that it would function like a Swiss
watch. Not SO with the United States
government. 1t has grown to it's pre- s.
emit size simply because nothing could
stop or retard it's growth and in spite
Of unbusinesslike methods that would
have wrecked a private enterprise be-
fore it got fairly started.
But now all this is being changed.
At last government has come to be
regarded as a business and an earnest
effort Is Being made to put the con-
duct of public affairs on a basis COM
parable to that which earns dividends
in the every day commercial world.
Moreover, the effort is getting results
that a be measured in dollars and
cents.
Reorganization of the administra-
tive branch of the government was
promised and undertaken months ago,
but it has been delayed by controver-
sic between department and bureau
heads. This would not seem to augur
well for the new order of things and
advocates of np-to-date business
methods In government. However,
real progress has been made In the
desired direction through a series of
executive orders requiring co-ordina-
ton and cooperation among officials
and between agencies that heretofore
have acted independently.
lust as previous to the installation
of the budget system there was no
coordination in estimating and very
little in appropriating, there was lit
tie o. no coordination in, expanding
public funds. As an illustration the
may be cited. Each bureau or hold
ing agency was carrying on THU work
In its own way and amazing al 1t may
seem 1t is actually true that at one
place the government was selling at
a sacrifice supplies that 1t was buy
ing ut current market prices at
another.
Chance for Sharp Practices.
Thus it was possible for those who
engage in sharp practice, to buy
something from one governmental
aseney. at a price below production
cost ana turn around and sell it to
SNAthAp ~ouornnnAnto a0AnMu az a
substantial profit. Again. instances
have been known in which one de-
parment would purchase desks and
other office furniture while another
department had a surplus supply of
the identical equipment that was go
ing to wreck and ruin in storage.
This sort of thing was stopped by
the creation of . liquidation board
to coordinate the sale of all surplus
property, to provide foDtrapsfery be-
tween various Sovernmental agencies.
srals departments Into federal bust
ness AZ ISOLATION and to install prac-
teal business methods. A total OF
10000, 900 was turned into the treas.
,ury duriRt the fiscal year just closed
from the tale OF supplies and It IL es-
ltinnated that q um almost ~ large
will Be realized during the current
year.
But this IL only part Of the story.
The liShthouse service OF the depart
i1ent Of commerce was about to spend
S~1.500.000 for lighthouse tenders.
Mine planters purchased durtng the
war which were idle and practically
valueless were made over into tenders
and the million and half vasssaved.
nrNdeSi that would kAve cost $34s,-
500 kSrS required hy the 4ngi1oAr