Evening star., 1928-10-28
SPEECH


ing sites. He further said:
"I have not hesitated to say quite
frequently that think the condition OF
our housing is very serious matter and
almost amounts to national scandal,
and If money was available certainly
an additional amount could and should
be expended on that item"
Was the $100.000,000 appropriated?
Secretary Davis knows that it was not,
and he further knows that he rushed
to the rescue of the Republican admin
istration with a misleading statement.
The same situation obtained in the
Navy. Everybody remembers that Ad-
miral Magruder wrote an article for the
Saturday Evening Post entitled THE
Navy and Economy" in which he
charged that the Navy had failed to
demobilize after the World War, that
it was over-organized and overstatfed
and still on wartime basis. He said
there were too many navy yards and
that they were being. maintained for
political purposes, that in one fiscal
year the cost of maintenance Of the
yards was $61 100000, although only
$16,000,000 worth of repairs was done.
Refers to Magruder Case.
Immediately after making these
charges Admiral Magruder was called
to the Navy Department to justify his
claim. He was then called before the
House committee on naval affairs and
questioned about this article. He re-
iterated all Of his charges Of extrav-
agance, failure to demobilize and ex-
cessive cost of maintenance. The re-
suit was that he was relieved of his
pest as commandant of the Phila-
deIphia Navy Yard by the Secretary OF
the Navy. He appealed to President
Coolidge. The President rejected his
appeal. He is still on the waiting list
This is what happens to a man who
ventures suggestion for real economy
when it interferes with political
patronage.
Gov. Hughes at Chicago distorted by
Missouri speech into criticism of econ
omy. I carefully said In the State of
Missouri that I gave the Federal Gov
ernment full credit for every economy
in government 1t effected, and went
so far as to say that not only ap-
proved that, but that insisted on it
in the government of New York State.
What criticized was the attempt to
use few petty economies to lead the
American people to believe that there
has been q reduction in the cost Of
government under Mr.. Coolidge.
This brings me to something which.
If put into effect, would have resulted
in a real economy. A real economy
means a benefit not only to every tax
payer but to every citizen, because the
burden of the cost of government rests
not only on those who pay taxes directly
but on all the citizens of the country.
The tax burden has way of being
passed along and being borne finally
by the people who pay the rent and
buv the neceSsaries of life. Economical
administration of the government Is,
therefore, matter of vital Importance
to every one Of US.
Quotes 1920 Program.
Let us take look at the Republican
platform for 1920:
1--WE advocate thorough investiga-
ton of the present organization OF the
Federal departments and bureaus with
view to securing consolidation, more
businesslike distribution of functions,
the elimination Of publication. delays
and overlapping of work and the estab-
lishnent of an up-to-date and efficient
administrative organization.
The present makeup of Federal de-
partmentS in Washington comor1seS at
least 200 units Not all OF these fall
within the 10 departments whose heads
sit in the Presidents Cabinet. Forty
or more of the units, involving upward
of $4,000 employees, are independent IN
the sense that they report to no MEM
Der of the Cabinet.
I could give no better explanation
of the present disorganiZed and dis
iointed governmental system at Wash
ington than that given by former POST.
master General Hays In speech tnat
he delivered to the Fifth Avenue Asso-
citation of New York as far back as
November, 1921. when he said:
''When President Harding began MS
administration he found deplorable con-
ditions In what I may term the house.
keeping part of the business manage
ment part of the Government, every
where throughout washington, aggra-
waited of course by the war situation:
vet the inefficiency was not the result
of the last few years. 1t goes TO the
heart of the Government The Gov
ernnent has been growing for l32 years,
but its growth has not been symmetr1-
cal. like the growth of a tree. nor has
it been built up like your own great busl-
ness institutions. 1t has been growth OF
adding a bureau here and a department
there, without any regard for relevancy,
appropriateness, efficiency or economy.
The result is that If you could visualize
the Government as a business or ad-
ministrative unit, you would see some
thing much like one Of those grotesque
spectacles of big oyster shell. to which
in the course of years big and irregular
masses Of barnacleS have attached
themselves, without symmetry or reieV-
ancy."
Recalls Lack Of System"
Mr.. Hays recalled what he called q
laughable lack of system, and ne SAID
that Mr.. Hoover himself had called 1t
tn his attention. He talked about con-
servation of wild life in so far as 1t
applies to bears. Arctic bears come un-
der the Secretary of Commerce; grizzly
bears are cared for by the Secretary
of the Interior, and brown bears are
looked after by the Department OF Agrl-
culture. He also referred to the business
man who came to Washington to sell
road dressing to the Government only
to find out he had to see eight dlf-
ferent department heads because the
building of roads was under the 1uriS-
diction of eight people. He told the
story of the 800 life-Saving stations un-
der the Coast Guard Service, which, by
the way, Is In the Treasury Depart
menu, WIlllc TIE AlSAACilOuSS 0CA WV WASAA
MANY of the lighthouses located within
a few steps of the life-SavingS stations,
is in the Department of Commerce.
A half dozen separate agencies OF the
disseminate intelligence to
the navigation interests OF the country.
Charts of the American sections OF the
Great Lakes are prepared and fur
nished by the lake survey water de-
oartment. Charts of the Canada Sec
lions of the Great Lakes and OF foreign
waters are furnished by the Navy De-
partment. Charts of our Atlantic and
Pacific coasts and of territorial waters
are prepared and furnished by the De-
oartment of Commerce. Storm warn
ngs are sent out by the Weather Bu-
reau Of the Department of Agriculture.
Nautical alrnanacs are provided by the
Naval Observatory.
MFR. Hays further said: