The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-02-02

concerning administration of gov
eminent agencies in those matters to
which it has thus FAR been able to
give careful consideration.
General Administration
"The activities of many different
departments and agencies of the fed
cral government have direct bear
ing upon agricultural welfare. These
activities may be divided into two
major types; service and regulatory
| functions. Service activities con-
sist essentially in the accumulation
and dissemination Of information.
Regulatory functions consist in
the Interpretation and enforcement
of laws and regulations.
"In many departments service and
| regulatory functions dealing with the
same commodity or industry arc
lodged in the same Bureau, office
or personnel. This has many disas-
trous effects. In the discharge Of
the regulatory function, officials arc
sometimes required to adopt the
judicial and prosecutory attitude.
This inevitably leads to antagonism
Of interest between department Off
cials and the individual citizens or
organizations. Many of the instances
of unsatisfactory administration
touching agriculture brought to the
attention of tie conference have
been clearly traceable to the feeling
Of antagonsm, instead of community
Of interest.
"The conference, therefore, re-
commends that in all branches of the
government the service function and
the regulatory function be separated
as completely as possible in organi-
cation, personnel and action.
Much Handicapped
"The conference finds that in many
instances administration is seriously
handicapped by inter- epartmental
or inter-bureau jealousies. The dog
in-the- manger' attitude of one de-
partment may seriously handicap the
development of constructive pro-
gram of administrative efficiency in
another department. Proposals for
the increase Of personnel and equip
ment in one department may be
prompted by the desire to rival or
surpass another department in size
and influence instead of by sim
cere desire to render additional SER
vice
"The conference realizes that per-
sonal or political influences and the
civil service status Of employees who
may offend in this respect present
Limitations to the extent to which
administrative officers can remedy
the ills arising from inter-depart-
mental or inter bureau jealousies.
But it desires to express it's convic-
ton that each new administration
which is elected to present the inter-
est and welfare of the people as a
whole can render invaluable service
if it will scrutinize with great care
each new proposal, to increase the
activities and influence of govern
ment bureaus or departments and
will ease its program and policies in
these matters upon a recognition of
the value of the service to be rem
dered.
again, many instances of unncces-
sary and unwise duplication in the
accumulation Of the same inforna-
ton, data, etc, for US by different
departments of the government have
come to attention. In many cases,
this seems to be done deliberately. If
the information gathered by one de-
partment is not suitable for use with
confidence by another department it
! certainly has not justified the ex-
pense incurred, nor should it be pre-
sented to the public.
The conference, therefore, be-
lieves that the creation Of some in
ter-departmental agency charged
with the duty to study this matter
and to promote inter departmental
coordination in the assembling and
use of government information would
be wise.
Recognition
"Finally, the conference wishes to
emphasize the Importance of recogni-
ton by all federal agencies that
much of the police or regulatory du-
! ties of. the government are in con-
nection with remedial rather than
punitive legislation. In many cases
federal commissions, boards, or bur
eaus, which were originally estab-
lished to act in behalf of individual
farmers or of groups which do not
have sufficient funds to act for
themselves in investigating apparent
injustices and in presenting these
for hearing before proper tribunals,
have departed from this original
purpose and are now acting either
as the tribunal itself to which COM
! plainants must present their case, or,
in state cases, the prosecutors of the
very persons whose cause they were
created to serve.
"The conference believes that eff
fort should be made to carry over in
to the regulatory functions of fed
eral agencies the spirit which should
prevail in their service functions, and
that the administration should cause
to be made, at periodic intervals, sur
| veys which will determine whether
these agencies are performing their
| proper functions. #5.,.L