Evening star., 1933-07-02
INDIANA REFORMS
CLOSE MANY Jobs
Employees Not Asked to Stay
Dropped Automatically.
Offices Centralized.
BY HAROLD C. FEIGHTNER.


INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, July 1.-The
Indiana State government today passed
from the scattered bureaucratic form
established by constitutional and legis-
lative forefathers to the highly CEN
traliZed form brought in by Gov. Paul
". McNutt
Although most of the system was
placed in operation on April Is, when
Gov. McNutt brought 1863 separate di-
visions into eight new departments,
the first day of July marked the date
fixed by law when all employees, unless
previously invited to remain, automati-
cally went off the pay roll. A good
many public servants who had been
retained under Is years of Republican
rule waited in vain for word that their
services were desired by the new Demo-
cratic administration.
1t is still too early to predict just
what the new form Of government will
do in the way of reducing expenses,
and at the same time promote efi-
cheney, but enough has transpired to
show that operating costs can be cut,
and that jobs can be dispensed with.
In the first four months Of the Nc
Mutt regime costs were cut 81 800, 900
more than in a similar period in 1882,
and today the State has more than
1000 less employees than it had a year
ago. Gov. McNutt himself believes
that economies totaling around $4,000,-
900 year can be effected.
Constitution Unchanged.
In undermining the State govern
ment Gov. McNutt did not resort to
constitutional changes, which have been
thought necessary in other States, but
obtained passage of a simple act which
consolidated all governmental agencies
into eight departments. In setting up
the system he utilized the existing
constitutional elective officers but pro-
vided that after 1886 the attorney
general, non-constitutional officer,
should be appointive rather than elec-
tive, as at present.
commerce and industry, audit and con-
troll, law, public works. State, treasury
and education. One Of the first moves
Of the Governor was to bring into the
executive department. which he heads
alone. a consolidated law enforcement
division made up Of the State police
identification bureau and fire marshal.
Virtually by executive decree was
established a State police force, which
legislators for years had shied away
from because Of the opposition of Or
ganlzed LABOR.
Gov. McNutt also reserved for his
department control of the States
penal and benevolent institutions, and.
while the reorganization has not
reached out to them yet. there is a
likelihood institutions of similar ma
ture may be brought under a full-time
executive board. His latest move in
following up the reorganization trend
was the establishment of a public well
fare division which combines the du-
plicating functions of the Board of
State Charities and the Governors
Unemployment Relief Commission.
Education Work Simplified.
An unwieldy Board of Education Las
given way to an eight-man department,
system in the common schools but the
two State universities. Purdue and In
diana, and the two State teachers col
leges. Indications are that the mod
ernization trend also will spread to the
universities and Implications in the
curriculum of Indiana and Purdue will
be eliminated. With a surplus of teach
ers in the State, it Is probable that one
of the teachers colleges will be replaced
by junior college.
Force of necessity obliged the ad-
to add two new divisions,
the excise to handle the beer situation,
and the gross income tax to tap new
sources of revenue made obligatory by
the decrease in taxable property valua-
tions. They are the ones on which the
State must depend for its financial
success or failure.
After all, however, the spectacular
part Of the overturn was the placing
of all patronage in the hands Of the
Governor. Even the elective oficials,
who always looked upon the pie
counter" as part of the perquisites Of
office, faced by an emergency that de-
manded retrenchment, willingly sur
rendered their prerogatives. AS q re-
suit Gov. McNutt holds the tenure and
salary of every State employe at his
will.
Job Hunters Disappointed.
The Republicans. aghast at the broad
assumption of power. called McNutt a
"Mussollni" while the Democrats crowd
ed to his office for jobs. More than
$4,000 of the faithful" filed applica-
tons. 1t was not humanity possible for
McNutt to fit that many persons into
the 1000 jobs available, so he now is
tasting the dregs of the politically
disappointed.
THE enemies of this plan" explains
the Governor, called it q dictatorship.
1t Is not that. The people Of Indiana
have made their Governor the general
manager of governmental activities.
Instead Of creating . dictatorship, this
plan makes possible. the application Of
common sense and practical methods to