Evening star., 1933-02-11
BY WILLIAM FIELDING OGBURN,
Research Director. Presidents Committee or
Recent Social Trends.

INSCGltb OOS-oA AASA%NS'
written for the Associated Press)
The Government should run its busi-
ness we'll 1t is large business, en-
ploying probably around $500, 600 per
sons with about 100000 elected officials
and with more than 100000 different
units.
During the last decade it has required
approximately one-eighth of the total
income, and a much larger percentage
during the depression.
1t concerns itself with police and
military protection, safeguards health,
cares for the sick, fights crime, helps
trade, encourages science, provides
money furnishes recreation, teaches our
children, aids transportation, forecasts
weather, provides insurance, furnishes
relief, aids employment, administers
Justice, makes roads, protects our for
eSts-in fact, no other business touches
our lives at so many points or aids us
in so many ways.
Moreover, these activities have grown
rapidly, in good times and in bad.
There is every reason to think this
growth may continue in the future.
Efficiency Wanted.
Management and technology have
won brilliant victories in private in
dustry, particularly during the past
decade. Waste has decreased. The
sProblem of production is almost solved
Fhe Government should be quick to
import the most modern devices of
efficiency in organization and tech
nique
Indeed, its recent record against
graft, corruption and inef1ciency has
been encouraging. But enormous gains
are still possible.
The problem is to make government
change more easily and rapidly, instead
OF clinging to the forms and precedentS
OF the earlier rulers of a by-gone agri-
cultural era. No farmer today would be
content to use Thomas Jefferson's
plough, but we do not seem to want
to change his governmental ideas.
Europe Changes Quicker.
1t is probably true that the govern
ments of Europe have changed much
more rapidly than in the United States.
Should government and business be-
come more close in the future, and
should the issues which government
deal with touch the lives of individuals
and the interest of business more init
fmately, much more attention will be
given to its affairs.
How well the public business is run
Is not wholly a matter Of tools. It is
also matter Of the representation OF
interests.
Governmental action is greatly speed
ed up when interests are represented
and when there is unity of purpose.
Witness the astounding speed of govern
mental action in wartime. But when
interests conflict and are not represent
ed, action is slowed down.
Basis of Representation.
Geography was good basis of rep
resentation when farmers made up the
bulk of the Nation and when commu-
nication was slow. But now geographic
cal interests have dwindled while occu-
pational and industrial interests have
become diversified. But they are not
represented well except by propagan-
dists, lobbyists and special interest
groups outside the government.
The stake OF the people in govern
ment Is almost unbelievably large, and
now the Government runs its business
Is bound to be big problem of the
future.
Tomorrow: "Man's Struggle With
Modern Life" One in 20 of boys and
girls OF high school age are placed in
SGn insane asylum sometime in the
course OF their HUes in the t1Uo States
sZor Which figures are available Sir
.teen major crimes are committed each
,gear per 1000 in our urban popula-
tton. Certain parts OF our society are
the toci of stresses Which could be re-
organized and lead to a much better
adjustment betUeen biological man
and his society. One of these, says
Prot. Ogburn in his merit article, is the
fpdy TN 1ohtch 10e spend our leisure
tin,e.
kcopyright. 1893. by the Associated Press.)