The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-02
VANDERBILT Plan
|. FOR RESEARCH
EXPLAINED
FinancIer Tells What He
Hopes to DO With Aid Of His
Washington Bureau.
BY MERRYLE 8. RUKEYEER.
Copyright, 1894, By star Company ana
Distributed by Cosmopolitan News

BY MERRYLE 8. RUKEYSER.
Copyright, 1894. By star Company and
Distributed by coSmopoIitan News
| eervice.J
NEW YORK, May 2S-Erank A.
Vanderlip, about whom the success
magazines waxed enthusiastically for
two decades. was confronted today
with intolerant attitude In Wall
Street. The chief organ Of stand.
pattism in the Street has read him
out Of the community, and fellow
directors ON corporations intinated
his withdrawal would be welcome
Accordingly. he has resigned from
every board of which he was =
director. His financial obituary has
already been written.
Mr.. Vanderlip 10 now through
with business, though less than
sixty years old and has dedicated
his life to public service. He Is
chairman OF the newly formed Cit.
zens' Federal Research Bureau at
washington which he supports.
| have asked Mr.. Vanderlip for
a clear statement Of his intentions.
Ee1AAN eNtA O0A0 " PE0SchS VIuSIu mere.
They come directly from the presi.
dent Of the National City Bank.
from q national figure who has
done much to combat economic II.
literacy" and to inject a greater
consciousness Of public service into
business.
Sees Room For Service.
II do not want you to get the
idea," said Mr.. Vanderlip that
am ambitious to run a glorified
detective agency. Nothing is
further from my mind than that. !
am not obsessed with the idea that
everyone in the Government is dis
honest, nor do / believe that corrup-
ton has become so rampant the
foundations Of Government are
eaten away.
II do believe that there is room
for a great service by an extra.
governmental organization and only
a small part of it's work would be
Waterman or policeman service.
My conception Of the function of
this bureau is that it should con-
fine its studies to departments and
bureaus in the executive branch of
the Federal Government; that it's
research should be directed against,
first, the purpose, and second, the
method Of any bureau that is being
Investigated.
| Duties Are Underlined.
1.-THE purpose of some of our
Government bureaus is either not
clearly defined or wisely conceived.
The method in many OF them would
be benefited by independent
scrutiny. There may and frequently
Is Incompetence which costs the
people vastly more In taxes spent
than would be the direct loss from
any probable corruption. Under
normal conditions / should think
that ninety-five per cent Of the
work of such a bureau as this
would be directly towards the study
of first, the purpose, and, second,
the competence or Incompetence of
management Of the different
bureaus.
There viii ALSO be a margin
where the question Of integrity will
be brought in. The corruption at
the present moment has reached a
point far beyond anything we have
ever experienced before in govern.
ment, ! believe. The result of be.
ing thrown into such a situation
has put most undue emphasis upon
the world OF detecting corruption"
Not NOtOriety Seeker.
AS to an imputation that the
whole undertaking is motivated
merely by desire to seek notoriety,
Mr.. Vanderlip explained.
Now a word as to what the
method Of the bureau should be
| nffnr N hos Y1naAA aFV
talltzed its study into a finding. I
felt that 1t should in the first in.
stance and without publicity present
its case to the resp JnsiEie head If
the department Or bureau concerned.
Such action presupposes that such
a head is well :ntentioned. honest,
and desires moro than anyone else
the proper conduct Of his barcau.
In such a case there need be no
publicity.
III no such cooperation can he
obtained from the head of the de-
partment, the next step would be to
present the evidence to q Congres.
sional investigating committee, If
one existed, or, II one did not exist
and the matter was Of serious
enough moment, to attempt to have
such an investigating committee
created. In such case, tile findings
OF the committee would eventually
come out in the form Of evidence,
and that would be the only avenue
Of publicity.
Cannot Investigate Self.
IF both of these methods Of ap-
proach were closed, It would then
remain to go to the public and
attempt to form a sound and mill.
tant public opinion which would
compel either executive or legisla.
tive action.
You cannot expect the execu.
tive side of the Government to
investigate itself. There can be
no investigation by illy-equipped
Congressional committees that will
be thoroughgoing unless those com.
mittees have some aid. These
committees are never whole-hearted
and they always lack means for
thoroughness. Politics creep in,
and the personal bias Of the indi.
viduals engaged must be taken &C.
count Of. / am convinced, from
a long familiarity with the situa.
ton in Washington, that an extra
governmental organization of the
character of the Citizens Federal
Research Bureau can be a vast
service"