Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1949-06-24
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Simplifed Government

4 "of, for, and by the people"
which our forefathers bequeathed
to their progeny. Its three branches
- legislative, administrative, nd
judicial-carried through all units
from the town, through the county
and state to the federal. 1t was a
government that answered all the
purposes of their time, but sue
ceeding generations have so added
to it that what was simple is now
a complex, Observation-Disclosures
governmental machine, in all OF
its various units.
Conditions change from genera
ton to generation, almost from
year to year. Government changes
in an effort to keep pace with
changing conditions. Government
adds to, but never subtracts. New
departments, new bureaus are
added, but when conditions no long
er require these additions they are
never dropped. In many cases, the
more or less, which at the time
seemed to warrant new depart
ment or new bureau for some unit
of government - city, township,
county, state or national-do not
now exist.
The department or bureau that
was added goes on and on, though
the need for it has long since
passed, and other expense items,
added when it was established, con-
tinue.
1t is easy to add to our govern
mental costs, but our political sys-
tenn makes it difficult to dispense
with those added costs when the
usefulness of the department or
bureau is over, if it ever existed.
Each job means political patron
age, and that is something few, il
any, political party leaders are
willing to reduce. That applies to
all units of government, from that
of the town through to the national
government at Washington.
Two years ago congress made
gesture looking toward the
simplification of the federal
government, and the reduction
of the expense. Tho Hoover COM
mission has reported its recon-
mendations. 1t is now up to con-
gress to enact those recon-
mendations into law, but to do
SO means reducing congress
sional patronage, and that con-
gress will not do unless it is
forced by vigorous demand on
the part of the voters.
The California state chamber Of
commerce now is promoting the
idea of a commission to do fol
California what the Hoover com.
mission did for the federal gov.
eminent. 1t wants recommends.
tons for the organization of the
states administrative branch; il
wants to remove the needless de.
partments and bureaus, and the
needless employees on the states
payrolls. 1t wants, also, to so sim.
pity the state government; to re.
move overlapping jurisdiction anc
authority, that it will be easier for
its citizens to do business with the
state government, and with each
other.
1t is worthy idea, and one that
well could be promoted in prac.
tically every state, and in every
unit of government in all states.
There would be a minimum num-
Der of branches in every state,
county or city government. There
would be but few cases in which
means of simplification could not
be found, or in which considerable
expense items could not be elimi-
mated. They would not be the
Hoover commission findings OF
three billion dollars annually, but
they could be proportionately large
Just as the management of
business does not see savings
and improvements because of
too-close familiarity with pre-
sent processes, so the executive
branch of government will
not see the needed, or desirable,
changes in the executive branch
of a government which! they are
directing. As in the case of the
Hoover commission, it needs
well-qualified outsiders work.
ing with a select group of in
sidcrs to see possible changes,
and make the necessary recon-
mendationS.
The commission is the first step.
The recommendations after care
full study, is the second step. The
third, and probably the hardest,
step is the enactment into law of
the recommendations. No matter
whether the legislative body be
state legislature county hoard
OF supervisors, or city council,
all will need a constant and per-
sistent demand on the part of the
voters, for the enactment into law
Of these recommendations.
Scarcely a day, never a week,
passes, when congress is in ses-
sion, that some member of the
house or senate does not propose