Evening star., 1932-06-10
maine MODERN|zES
ITS BOOKKEEPING
Only Four Men Understand
How Machines Cut Out /
+ 28 Agencies. !
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
AUGUSTA, Mo. June 10 (NANA).+
A check punched full Of holes can1e
into the hands Of local business man
recently
rs this a check or is 1t some new
kind of restaurant meal ticket?" be
asked himself. And then ne discovered,
somewhat to his surprise. that the check
was just as good as any check he ever
received In his life, and better than
some.
His perplexity was due solely to tlas
fact that this was his first introduction
TO the new administrative code" of the
State OF Maine. The State Government
mas had an overhauling in its mechan-
| lcal works, and good many of the
citizens are dazed by it all In fact, It
Is Claimed by some that only four men
IN the state OF Maine understand it.,
See Gain in Efficiency.
The new system has been functionine
only since the first of this year and.
While it is too soon TO pass final Judge
ment on it. those who know something
about 1t believe that it is going to effect
some economies and an amazing in
crease In efficiency. At least, it is be-
A4NfCO, IL gives NdlIle al HQmlDlStTatlY6
system more progressive in some re-
spects than tina: OF the other New Eng
land States,
The new administrative code is the
pet project of Gov Gardiner. who is
serving his second term. 1t was put
into effect only after a hard battle
which was finally won by a referendum.
1t amounts to bookkeeping revolu-
ton in the State House II isn't par.
tieularly spectacular revolution-n fact.
some of the citizens don't know yet
that 1t has occurred-bu it does mark
stage in the States development.
AS corporation, Maine has. become
a $33 600 0O0-a-year institution. and it
has reformed its organization In q
manner befitting such a big business.
BY so doing the State has definitely de-
parted from the pen-and-ink business
era and has made a great start toward
what seems to be one of the cryinp
needs OF the hour-a renovation Of the
ancient, creaking apparatus OF State
and Federal Governments.
Machines Speed Work.
This new code in fact. is first and
foremost matter of machinery Those
citizens who have seen the machinery
IN the office OF State Controller Run
nells are dumfounded by it.
1T just rains checks" is the way
people generally describe the clicking
contrivances. These machines eliminate
hours of kbor in posting books, get
ting vouchAs, getting warrants, writ
ing. reading Scrlbbling, adding and
fooling around
Their operation Is based on q card
system, in which every State employe
ana every person to whom the State
ever pays money is listed under a code
numoer. Each card is punched in
code. and. when check is to be drawn
for the card, the blank check Is run
beneath the card and punched into
holes exactly corresponding to those on
the card.
The machinery is leased BY the
State for $3.50 a month from the busi-
ness machine company which manu-
iactures it. 1t appears as complicated
as the situation in China. 1t is Gov
cred by enough patents to paper the
Levtathan, and the secrets of its in
sides are jealousy guarded.
Work ID Centralized.
However, Controller Runnels SAYS
that the machines do the business very
we'll indeed and very rapidly. The ma
chimes catch the eye. but not the un-
derstanding
These machines are doing the cleri-
cal work for almost all the State de-
partments., whereas formerly that work
was done in many different places. They
centralize things, they allow pay rolls
to be made up in a fraction of the
time formerly needed and they allow
a continuous check on the financial
progress of ell State work
!: More than that, they 90 1t accurate
ly. If q mistake is made, the machin-
cry stops itself and won't 60 until the
mistake is corrected.
Excess Agencies Out.
To arrive at the present organization
there had to be some housecleanins.
The bill which installed the admins
trative code wiped out 28 State agen-
cies. Many of these agencies were
boards of trustees for this thing and
that. In some cases. it was discovered,
the trustees didn't even know they were
supposed to be serving. OF course. most
Of these were unpaid boards, but even
so. it was an awkward arrangement
BY the same bill fouy new agencies
were established.
The most drastic changes were made
in the handling OF the State institu-
tions. There are l3 Of these. ranging
III mature ITOHl Tie 0ldV ~ lSOIl 10
schools for the deaf. Previously there
were l3 different purchasing agents for
these institutions. 13 bookkeepers, l3
sets Of accounts and 13 kinds Of oat-
meal and 7shoestrings.
Now the business Of all these inSti-
tutionS is done in more efficient man.
ner, since there is one central purchas-
ing agent and one central bookkeeping
office. That is, to be exact, the gen
eral idea-there are still books at the
institutions. OF course, and there are
special exceptions to suit special cases.
Maine, 1t may be noted here. is in
rather an enviable financial position.
During the fiscal year ending June 80.
1881. the outgo was S30527 91366 10
come WAS S3l, ,476 98305 The budget
is unbalanced on the right side. and
it's done without the aid Of mirrors or
an income tax There has been no
sppreciable shrinking of the State
revenue. despite the alleged depression.