Evening star., 1933-03-18
Lame Duck Congress Voted
to End Department After
II Years.
DUTIES TO BE TAKEN OVER
BY MAKERS OF. BUDGET
Independent Department Was Gre.
ated for Economy Purposes in
Wilson Administration.

abolished June l. Everything but its |
personnel and the independence 1t en- |
joyed from other Federal departments |
will be absorbed by the Budget Bureau |
In the interest of Democratic econ |
omy the bureau was born during t.le |
administration Of President Wilson to
find ways of reducing expenses In gov
eminent. And, paradoxically, in the |
name Of economy it will die-a victim |
OF the wave of expense SlaShing that |
swept through Congress In the closing |
days of the recent and final lame |
duck" session.
An Independent establishment that |
for nearly II years has served both the |
executive and legislative branches of |
the Government, the Efficiency Bureau |
is unquestionably in a far better posi-
tion than any other Government !
agency to aid President Roosevelt with |
the far-reaching and complicated prcb-
lens of reorganizing the Federal serv-
ice. Its entire life has been devoted TO |
such work. Studies of the set-up of |
Government agencies and solution of |
the knotty problems Of personnel and |
equipment have been its forte No |
other Government agency has special |
lied in such work, and the ramiflca- |
tion of activities of no other agency has |
been spread over such a wide and i'm |
portant field.
The files of the Bureau Of Efficiency |
show that few, if any, Government de- |
partmentS have escaped investigation !
of some aspects of their work and the |
resulting improvements in service, |
brought about as a general rule by |
reduction in cost. Into the problems of |
the District government it also has |
delved, assisting the Commissioners in |
setting up new methods of procedure |
and instituting reforms that led to in |
creased efficiency and better service to |
the public.
Even the little Virgin Islands were |
the object of a bureau investigation. |
and out of it came a change in the |
form Of government, designed to aid |
the Virgin Islanders to help them |
selves.
Saving of S50,009,000.
The bureau is small. compact Or
ganization, which would have cost the |
Government about Sl46,Ooo IN the
coming fiscal year. The total expense
of the bureau since its or ation in 1916 |
has amounted to approximately ST.
100000, but in this period it Is esti
mated that the Government has saved
about s5O,000,O00 by adoption Of its
recommendations.
The personnel Of the Efficiency Bu-
reau consists Of force Of specialists |
who study specific problems Of organ |
iZation and business methods and de- |
velop constructive recommendations for |
improvements. It also provides tnfor- |
nation or recommendations on ad- |
miniStrative and legislative matters |
These studies originate at the request
of Congress or its committees, or in |
dividual members, or the heads OF the |
administrative establishments.
The bureau, in addition, provides
actuarial service relative to the cost OF
the various retirement funds for the
retirement of employees, and performs !
most of the statistical and other assist
ance required by the Board OF Actu-
aries for the civil service retirement
and disability fund.
The total personnel Of the bureau is
43, Of which 20 are Investigators, and
the rest, with the exception of two mes
Sengers, are clerks. Each member OF
the investigating staff is a specialist
in his own line-accountants, lawyers
and actuarieS-who were picked, for
the most part, from among the out
standing employees in the Government
ability in these positions to join the
bureau force Thus, the price these
employees must pay for leaving a post
in some Government department to join
the bureaus force is the loss of their
jobs.
Browns Varied Experience.
For instance, Herbert D. Brown, di-
rector of the bureau, a veteran in the
Government service, since 1905 has held
a number of varied and important posi-
tions In 1905 he was special exam
liner with the Bureau OF Corporations.
Five years later he was appointed the
actuary in charge of work for the joint
Congressional Committee on Fidelity
Bonds. The following year he became
the accountant of President Taft'S
Commission on Economy and Efficiency.
and in 1918 he was made chief of the
Division of Efficiency of the Civil Serv-
ice Commission.
It was while Brown was attached to
the Civil Service Commission that his
qualifications as an efficiency expert
made their most profound impression,
and resulted several years later IN MS
Bureau, which was established primar-
ily to improve the business methods OF
the Government.
Like Brown, the investigators under
him have background of prior Govern
ment service, college degrees and a
knowledge Of efficiency in government.
Thomas F. Murphy, the assistant di-
rector, came from the Indian Bureau,
where he had charge Of accounting.
" P Simmons. an Investigator, left the
post of chief Of Supply Service in the
bureau staff Paul Banning has been
in the Internal Revenue Bureau. and
Archie L. Peterson was recognized as
one of the outstanding accountants IN
the Government service.
Others are Joseph Jordan, former
professor of law at George Washington
University; Paul Rapp, prominent
economist with a degree from Columbia
University; Arthur G. Thomas, author
and procedure. and Russell r. Reagn,
recognized actuarial authority.
Bureaus Alumni Cited.
In addition to these men, who are
to be turned out, the bureau takes pride
in some of its alumni, who are now
holding important Government posi-
tions. Alvin Hall, director Of the Bu-
reau of Engraving and Printing, was
tor. SO were Frederick Myers, assistant
director of the Internal Revenue Bu-
reau and James B. Bennett, assistant
director of the Bureau Of Prisons. Will
liam McReynolds, former director OF
Personnel Classification, likewise was q
graduate of the bureau.
other Investigators went into private
concerns at higher remuneration than
the Government would pay. Probably
the most fortunate of these was Her
bert H. Rapp, who joined the staff Of
a Northern manufacturing concern,
which paid him three times his Govern
ment salary.
The most ardent supporter of the
Efficiency Bureau in Congress, when
the movement started for its abolition,
was the late Representative Wood Of
Indiana. As chairman Of the House
Appropriations Committee, Wood came
into close contact with the bureau and
its investigators, and recognized the
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