The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-01-23
Copyright, Western NewIplosr Union
TX.
OUT-OF-DATE MACHINE

OUI-OF-DAIE MACHINE
A committee made up Of three mem
bers Of the senate and three members
Of the house is now considering the
whole problem Of the organization Of
the executive departments OF the gov
eminent with q view to finding out
how to reorganlze them so as 10 IN
crease their efficiency and decrease
their cost Of operation. 1t IS about
time. The great executive depart.
ments of the government have not
Econ reorganized or greatly modern
zed since Alexander HomIton's day
Representative Reayis OF Nebraska
Is one VI the members Of this joint
congressional committee that is max
ing the present investigation. he put
the resolution through the house that
brought about the appointment Of the
committee. lie is a part Of the na-
tlonal government machine aud he
ought 10 know what he IS talking about
when he says that "whilc the gov
eminent Of the United states is the
worlds biggest business. # is likewise
the worlds worst managed business.
That IS an Indictment ana n state
ncnt Of fact that will stand the closest
scrutiny and the most unsparng
analysis. But listen 10 Mr. Reays:
"Why should the Interior department
run IN insane asylum and a college for
negroes and a school for the deafG
How did 70 get that way why should
one personnel in the pension bureau
IN the Interior department be caring
for the disabled soldiers OF the Civil
war aBd the Spanish American war,
while another personnel in the bureau
Of war risk insurance Of the treas.
ury Is caring for the veterans Of the
World war? Why this hodgepodge Of
totally unrelated purposes which is re-
sulting IN endless duplication and APP
palline expenseT
] VIII let Mr.. Reavis so on without
further interruption. As a member
~ the house he has his share OF the
responsibility for the conditions he de-
scrIbes:
There arc 80 separate governmental
"gcncies handling engineering. architec-
iulal and public works functions. nu OF
related kind. There is no good reason why
an these agencies should not be co-ordl-
natcd BOZ one department and about is OF
ilr useless organizations done away with
There az s. government agencies engaged .
90 surv lHg aud mapping there arc q
separate and distinct agencies engaged In .
public building operations. there are 81
agencies authorized % build roads there
are 10 engaged iu hydraulic construction I
there ale li doing work on rivers there /
are 10 engaged In public land functions
there are Is doing chemical Investigation /.
connected with public work operations Z
there are p doing engineering and re-
search
Many OF these agencies have been in- /
active Tor a number OF years but they
are keeping up their personnel In anucl- .
patton Of work IN the future We could .
save 100000 year. 100 my Judgment /
By dolng away with useless bureaus and /
duplication OF activities
Some or the applications are ridicu-
lous and absurd. For Instance. the gov
eminent seeks 70 protect the Wild animals .
80. - - "'N"" N''''"H
block as often Sannors ana pS" o,e "' aso oTs
shoot the brown cub he mus, make his
settlement with one department. but II
no shoots It's run brother. the black cub.
no must settle with another department
II you we're 70 shoot fox IN Alaska your
settlement would be with the Department /
Of Agriculture while N you trapped the
some FOX you must make your settlement
HI.
WIN inc Department OF commerce.
Inc government issued last year
hrough US several bureaus and depart
mcnlS l6 cookhooks. The last one that
was issued was published by the board
OF vocational education. This ia board
organized hF the congress Tor tho purpose
oi rehaod'ta'lnE crippled soldiers az the
World war. 20 prevent as TAR as possible,
ihrf becoming dereuDts ln ne. II
may he ot interest to state that while The
government h'7 oten Issuing 'h cooNbooks
ana consuming vast Quantities OF print i
''per IN lheSs ana slmuAf useless pIhli-
.luons ~" country town newspapers