Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-12
As Told to william p. Helm, Jr.

AS 1OL0 70 WITH" Es nCthur
We hear a great deal about red tape
! in the Government. Red tape cannot
be eliminated wholly, nor should it. A
! certain amount is essential as a safe
guard TO the Governments business.
There has been far too much, how
I ever, in the past. There is too much
| in Washington today. although the
| Bureau of the Budget has been cutting
! it eight years. Thanks to the loyal
thorough cooperation Of thousands OF
Federal workers, high and low, there
! is less red tape in the Government
| financial affairs today than tor q gem
| Grafton.
To return to Gen. H. c. Smither,
| whom / mentioned in an earlier chap
! ter, his immediate task after taxing
! office was the disposal Of the Govern
mentS postwar surplus OF supplies and
/ equipment inventories were made and
! q clearing house set up. All requiSl-
lions for new supplies, from whatever
branch of the Government, were refer
| red to him. Only when the supplies
| could not be obtained from surplus
were the various departments permitted
| to 60 into the markets to buy.
OF necessity the work extended over
q long period 1t lasted years. From
that day to this more than $4,000 ,O0O.-
900 worth of surplus Government sup
plies have been disposed OF. Tens OF
thousands OF acquisitions for material
that otherwise would have been bought
in the open market have been honored
out of surplus. So skilfully and EN-
GENTLY was the work done that SO Tar
as know 1t has caused scarcely ripple
on the waters OF the Nations Industrial
and financial affairs.
MarveIs Accomplished.
From that beginning the Budget Blu
reau has been sending its trained work
ers along with the dollars taken from
the Treasury by every branch OF the
Government. The little group OF Budget
Bureau workers have accomplished
marvels Of economy in my humble
judgment: more. they have planted the
leaven OF economy throughout the
whole Federal service. The record is
studded with instances Of savings ef-
fected through their preaching and fol-
lowing the gospel OF economy.
Let me cite q few cases all recent.
Somewhat more than a year ago the
personnel of the Prohibition Bureau
was placed under civil service. II was
announced that all jobs under the bu-
reau would be filled from the civil serv-
ice. That meant that any one who de-
sired might apply for a place, take an
examination, and il he passed and DEM
onstrated his fitness in every way. OBJ
tain job. The ruling applied TO old
employees as we'll as new; everything was
included.
Investigating the Dry Agents.
More than 1000 persons filed appli-
cations. Now the nature of prohibition
enforcement work is such that unusual
safeguards have to be exercised i'm max
ing appointments Those in charge de-
cided to investigate virtually the entire
history of every applicant. The most
extraordinary and painstaking efforts
were made 10 bar unworthy or unified
persons.
The Bureau OF Investigation Of the
Department of Justice, often referred to
incorrectly as the secret service, under
took the work. Ordinarily that bureau
has just about all 1t can do. 1t does
virtually all the Governments detective
work except experimenting counter
feiters. and on occasion, / understand,
1t stands ready to lend a hand there.
Undertakes Big Assignment.
The bureau undertook the big assign
ment in addition to its other duties, and
made more than $4,000 examinations
into the records of the 1000 applicants.
1t completed the task without adding
materially to the Governments usual
expense for the bureaus work. Seven
thousand persons we're investigated from
their days of early childhood at Virtu-
ally no cost 10 the Government.
Another illustrations: For many years
the Federal Government. through the
Biological Survey. has employed trained
men to rid ranges and forests of the
West of coyotes, mountain lions, wild
cats and other wild animals that prey
on cattle and sheep. This work has
made the great grazing grounds re-
latively safe for flocks and herds.
Much Of the work Is done through
poison bait, and 1t has been the custom
Of the hunters to prepare their own
bats. Recently, however, It was decided
to depart somewhat from custom. A
large quantity of the necessary ma
terials was sent to convenient head
quarters In Ealt Lake City. and there
labor was hired at 40 cents an hour and
instructed in preparing bats.
Prodding Tardy Disbursing Officers.
More than 800 900 bats were prepared
thus--enough. one would imagine, to
kill every predatory wild animal in the
West. The cheaper labor became ex-
pert. 1t turned out 600 bats an hour
hunters output for an entire day
averaged 1000 That minor change
saved about $1,000 for this particular
branch of the bureaus work. As that
single bureau is pursuing many lines OF
work, and as 1t is only one Of about zoe
| bureaus of the Government. q saving OF
| that sort all along the line soon would
run into a substantial sum.
J One Of the conditions uncovered early
ii the Budget Bureaus history va,