Evening star., 1928-01-31

est effort and sacrifice now and then
In the interest Of the Government Is
all that Is necessary to win and retain
| membership in good standing in these
Federal clubs. The first of these. Or
ganized in January, 1925. was the Two
Per Cent Club. instituted to reduce
the Federal expenditure program for
that year by that amount. 1t secured
at once large and virile membership,
and saved S60,000,G00. In June, 1925.
the One Per Cent Club came into being
and quietly and effectively reduced the
Governments expenditure program by
S62 900 900.
In January. 1926 the Two Per Cent
Personnel Club was organized for the
purpose of saving at least per cent
OF the money appropriated for the Fed
eral executive civil service. This plan
did not contemplate the discharge of
any person or persons from the Federal
service. The average normal overturn
amounts to 9 per cent. It was pro-
posed that at least per cent of the
allotment for salaries be saved by per-
mitting sufficient number of these
| vacancies to remain untitled. Today We
! have the inspiring and satisfying detail
of that effort to save. OF % depart
mentS and establishments listed as ell
~,
| Considering all factors involved. the In
terror Department heads the list with
| record of 1883 per cent. The Navy
Department. with a record of 4,875 per
cent and an actual saving Of S634494,
Is number two. The actual saving ef-
fected by the Two Per Cent Personnel
Club was S2l ,573,436. And this very
material economy resulted in no loss
OF ef1ciency in the service.
And this constructive organization
! the Two Per Cent Personnel Club
Is operating again this year It's policy
| applies 10 every Federal agency. Some
| OF the Federal establishments are slow
IN reporting progress this year. I hope
| they may not be found wanting when
| the check-up is made at the end of the
IL months. If after honest effort Fed
efaI agencies are crippled or fall IN the
/ struggle, that is honorable. but to be
missing from the fighting front is in
defensible.
Controlling Correspondence.
"A year ago We inaugurated the Cor
| reSpondence Club. Through its efforts
/ We hoped to make worth while reduc-
ton IN Government correspondence.
| While real improvement has been ef-
| tected. it is proving a difficult task to
| properly organize the effort The Fed
eral Board on Simplined Office Pro-
cedure is preparing standard recon-
! menoations. which I am satisfied will
| De effective IN curtaiiing the great out
| put OF communications. AS a result
| OF practical tests with a group of
| stencgrapfers 1t has been found that
/ 1t costs the Government an average OF
| 26 cents letter 10 carry On It's p-GfuSe
/ correspondence. This figure IS not final.
| out accurate enough 70 be significant
| and startling. It would be an excellent
| plan for Government personnel reSpon-
sibie for correspondence 10 have that
! surprising 20 cents given prominent
| place on their desks. II may serve as a
| deterrent.
The woodpecker Club is our pewest
| and in some respects our most inter-
| esting organization 1t was instituted
{ June last for the sole purpose OF afford
! ing opportunity for the rank and file
| OF our army OF employees 20 enlist in q
| 100 per cent campaign for small saw
| ings. No reports are called for II Is
settle -w:th-you own conscience Or
| ganization. Some reports. however.
| have reached US. The postmaster az
| Richmond. Va. June 20. 10 days after
| the launching OF the movement here.
/ organized his workers. This same Rich
! rlond postmaster Is a high light in our
| saving campaign. In 1926 he effected
economies IN the expense OF lighting the
| Richmond post Office that lowered the
cost from S6.435.35 10 SI,Si97o. a re-
| duction OF TIT per cent. July l the
| Oakland. Calf. post Office organized a
woodpecker's Club with a complete lis.
OF officers. August the internal rev
! enue office in Honolulu reported a 100
/ per cent enrolment OF its force in the
| Loyal Order OF WoodpeckerS. Septem-
/ Der 20 the customs service in Duluth
! Joined the honor roll. followed Septem-
| Der - by the Kansas City. No. pcS,
once. Since the announcement. OF the
| Woodpecker Club campaign We have
/ been reminded by friends that the
woodpecSer always works with his head
! and tells the world what he is doing.
The budget director guarantees that the
members or the Loyal Order OF Wood
peckerS are using their heads III the
interest or constructive rsirencnnent.
The speaker IS proud OF their loyal es-
forts and glad OF the privilege OF telling
the world what they are doing.
Economy \ Permanent relsey.
Announcements tha. Federal expenS-
itures have been reduced oy nsilla,.s and
that policy OF constructive economy
has made rich contribution tnereto are
followed inevitably by statements that
We are making no reduction II Federal
spending and that Federal economy Is a
myth. The record shows that III 1921
we spent $S.SSS, ,s09 iSs so. In 1927. the
last complete fiscal year. we spent
SS 49S 5S+. .5i9 10. q reduction o. So. .044, =
624 6es % below 1921. which was tire
last re-oudget year These figures can
easily be verified from the records.
While people generally are apprec:a-
tive a. what we are doing IN the way
of ret-enchment, we Occasionally run
across those diScouragirg indy iGlsalS
who Insist upon comparing our expengss-
lures TOW with What they were before
the World War. ! wonder they do not
revert IL the Revolution for comparison
There have been great national changes
and developments since the declaration
OF war II 1917, A man who suffered
moved from comparatively small COM
Muni;y ~ New York City. Sc;l,e months
after this change an acquaintance from
the old home town met the man with
the heSitans tongue. After few mo-
| mentS oE CONVERSATION. the friend re
marked,
"'Yeu stutter mere here than YOU did
back home
Dad d-darned s-S-isht h-b-hSSxS-
t-towD.' was the ANSWER.
We are called upon tCSiay to admins
ter the affairs and provide for the uex<iS
ot much larger Nation. with greatly
enlarged and more important ard mare
diversified Interests, The care eE World
War veterans, the l>ASs-roadS pyS,STan
| and other important and permanent al
| d1tions 10 our pre~war neSdS coSs 0S
more than 5000 900 900 in 1897 And
| this total excludes $751;, ,eo0. GOO Ios ia
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