The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-01
THE OoNrNnssIoN Evil.

flict regarding the powers of the rail-
road labor board. The board since its
creation has proven to be of little II
any service to the country. If its
power become wholly uncertain it may
as well be abolished. In fact there is
nothing that the country needs more
than a wholesale clearing out OF
boards, commissions and bureaus.
During the eight years from 1913 to
1921, there were twenty-five federal
boards and commissions established
not counting innumerable bureaus
created within departments already in
existence. Among these independent
boards and commissions is the rail
road labor board, which tells the rail-
roads upon what terms and rates of
wages they must employ their work
men. There is the federal trade com
mission, which tells the business men
of the country on what conditions
they may conduct their private bust
ness. There was the railroad admin
istration. which i. still technically in
existence but gradually being dis
solved.
During its reign the railroad ad-
ministration boosted the expenses of
the railroads and held their incomes
relatively low, digging into the United
States treasury to pay deficits.
Among the other boards and COM
missions enumerated in the official
directory are the bureau of efficiency;
the federal reserve board; the United
States shipping board; the Emergency
Fleet corporation; the council of ma
tional defense; the joint board; the
finance corporation; the tariff COM
mission; the employees compensation
commission; the screw thread COM
mission; the road commissioners for
Alaska; the commission on navy yards
and naval stations; the advisory COM
mittee for aeronautics; the board of
mediation and Cancellation; the United
States section of the inter- American
high commission; the pecuniary
claims arbitration commission. and the
United States interdepartmental So
ciaI hygiene board.
All the useful duties and labors of
the bo1rds and commissions doubtless
could be performed by the depart
ments of government already in exist
ence before their creation.
The makeshift Of appointing a new
committee. naming a new commission
or establishing a new bureau blindly
to tackle problems which defeat the
efforts of the political mind at pene-
tration, is becoming a habit. AS a
rule, bureaus, commissions, commit
tees and the like are established with
out study or consideration for the
purpose of discovering II the sup
posed evil we seek to destroy or check
is really an evil In most cases study
would disclose that the supposed evil
is not an evil at all, but natural de-
velopment in line with the forward
movement of material progress.
There are two aspects of evil in the
habit. One is political. the other is
economic, and either would be enough
to condemn it. The economic evil
arises out of the incidental Increase in
costs overhead. without a compensat-
ing return. These commissions rarely
accomplish any economic good; on
the other hand, they are more likely
to and actually do retard and hamper
productish and economy in numerous
directions. The trouble is that few of
them ever succeed in maintaining a
sympathetic attitude toward the
thing which they are organized to
foster or control. Usually their per-
'sonnels are untitled by training and
temperament for the work laid out
for them.
The establishment of a new bureau
is regarded as a fresh opportunity for
dispensing rewards to deserving Re
publicans or Democrats-there is no
choice between the parties. they are
alike in this respect and equally
guilty. II a committee investigates.
it directs its attention toward the Gre
alton of political capital; overlooking
or disregarding the actual problem in
volved. Even when such a commit
tee succeeds in penetrating it's prob
lem, it rarely has the moral courage
to render a report in conformity with
its convictions. The great political
evil to be feared is the tendency to-
ward the establishment Of a privileged
class OF bureaucrats
But even il the political evil were
removed, the economic evil would re-
main, ana in the end would prove
equally destructive Of the general well
fare. No economic system can carry
an increasing burden of overhead in
the form OF the costs of government
without finally breaking down. Be
yond a few fundamental services
which should be performed at a mini
mum OF cost to the community, gov
ernments are wholly parasitic. and
any increase in the number of those
who administer the government. be-
yond the bare necessities. establishes
an economic and unwarranted drain
upon the resources of the people.