davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

clusiyely for the tripartite Interna-
tional Supervisory Commission. all
the employees are organized in units
or cells. For example. all the fifth
floor chambermaids may be in one
unit. Each has notebook In which
she is expected to jot down any
worthwhile thoughts she may have
during the day. At five o'clock they
meet with their leader to report
and discuss their days thoughts.
The leader notes any which she
considers worthy. and passes them
up to the next higher level for con-
sideration.
That's how 1t came about that
the Canadian members Of the In
ternational Commission now enjoy
tomato juice with their meals at the
Metropole. At one 5 pm. meeting
four walters reported that Cana
dams like tomato Juice. The sug-
gestion was passed UP the ladder.
Two months later tomato juice ap-
peared in the dining room.
The same system obtains in all
Wet Mimi state enterprise - and
there are now no enterprises Of
any size which are not state-owned.
True, the platform of the Com
munist-inSpired "FatherIa n d
Front"---drafted to win support in
South Vietnam-says an aim of the
regime Is to protect private COM
merce and industry. at the same
time encouraging the restoration
and development of such private
commercial and industrial branch
es as help improve the nations vel
fare and the peoples living. How
ever, high Wet Mini official made
1t clear to me that "handicrafts,
and even light industry" is to be
the limit for private domestic CAPT.
tai.
Government Control
Under present conditions" he
said. I'VE must take full advantage
of private enterprise, but in fact
their capacity is quite limited. Big
things only the government can do. :"
But Communist control of the
million people in North Vietnam
goes much deeper than organiza-
ton of the workers in state enter
prises. Industrially the country is
poorly developed. The vast majority
OF the people are laborers, rice
farmers, artisans, small shopkeepers
and fishermen, and not amendable
to control through common en-
ployment.
The Lao Dong-literally Labor
Party. but formerly the Indo-
China Communist Party--has fas-
tened It's tentacles onto the brown
skinned, brown-shirted little peo-
pie Of North Vietnam by the block
and cell system which is the COM
mon denomination of Communist
organization everywhere.
As it works in cities like Hanoi,
with population of 100000 BIC.
before communism and Haip-
hong, (70,000). a party man is re-
sponsible for the people in a house
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Must the Total
Always Increase?

Can this rise in the total number
Of civil servants be accounted for
except on the assumption that such
a total must always rise by a law
governing its growth?
1t might be urged, at this point,
that the period under discussion
was one of rapid development In
naval technique. The use of the
flying machine was no longer con-
fined to the eccentric. Submarines
were tolerated II not approved. En-
gineer officers were beginning to be
regarded as almost human.
In 90 revolutionary an age we
might expect that storekeepers
would have more elaborate inven-
tories to compile. We might not
wonder TO see more draughtsmen on
the payroll, more designers, more
technicians and scientists.
But these. the dockyard officials,
increased only BY 10 per GENT IN
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Scientific Proofs
Lie in Statistics

From this description of the
factors at work the student of
political science will recognize that
administrators are more or less
bound to multiply. Nothing has vet
been said, however. about the pc
rod Of time likely to elapse between
the date Of AS appointment and
the date from which we can calcu-
late the pensionable service of H.
Vast masses Of statistical evidence
have been collected and it is from
study Of this data that Parkin-
sons Law has been deduced. Space
Will not allow Of detailed analysis.
but research began In the British
Navy Estimates. These were chosen
because the Admiralty's RESPONSE
oiltt1es are more easily measurable
than those Of (say) the Board of
Trade.
The accompanying table Is de-
rived from Admiralty statistics for
1914 and 1928. The criticism voiced
ct the time conferred on the COM
parison between the sharp fall in
numbers of those available for
fighting and the sharp rise in those
available only for administration:
the creation, 1t was said. of "a
magnificent. Navy on land" But
that comparison Is not to the pres
ent purpose. What we have to note
Is that the 1000 Admiralty officials
OF 1914 had become the 1860 of
1928; and that this growth was
unrelated to any possible increase
In their work. The Navy during
that period had diminished, in
point OF fact. by a third in men
and two-thirds in ships. Nor, from
1922 EDWARDS, was its strength even
expected to increase for its total
OF ships (unlike its total of officials)
was limited by the Washington Ma
val Agreement of that year. Yet
in these circumstances we had q
78.45 per cent increase in Admir-
atty officials over a period of
IA years; an average increase of
So per cent year on the earlier
total. In fact. as we shall see,
the rate Of increase was not as
regular as that. All we have to
consider, at this stage, Is the per-
centage rise over a given period.
TobIe of Admiralty Statistics
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

spective OF any variation in the
amount Of work df any to be done.
No Emotive VoIue
The discovery Of this formula
and Of the general principles upon
which it is based has, of course,
no emotive value. No attempt has
been made to inquire whether de-
partments ought to grow in size.
Those who hold that this growth
is essential to gain full employment
are fully entitled to their opinion.
Those who doubt the stability of an
economy based upon reading each
others minutes are equally entitled
to theirs. Parkinson's Law is q
purely scientific discovery, inapplic-
able except in theory to the politics
Of the day. 1t is not the business
Of the botanist to eradicate the
weeds. Enough for him If he can
tell us just how Fast they grow.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
.PARZINsON's LAW
Revolutionary Study Finds
Whot Makes Civil Service
Grow and Grow and Grow

harder than ever. An incoming
document may well come before
each of them in turn. Official e
decides that it falls within the prov
ince Of F, who places a draft reply
before c, who amends it drastically
before consulting D, who asks g to
deal with it. But G goes on leave
at this point, handing the file over
to H. who drafts a minute. which is
signed by D and returned to c, who
revises his draft accordingly and
lays the new version before A.
What does A do? He would have
every excuse for signing the thing
unread. FOR he has many other mat
ters on his mind. Knowing now
that he is to succeed w next year,
he has to decide whether c or D
should succeed to his own ONCE.
He had to agree to G going on leave,
although not yet strictly entitled to
1t. He is worried whether H should
not have gone instead. for reasons
OF health. He has looked pale re-
cently-partly but not solely be-
cause Of his domestic troubles. Then
there is the business of F's special
increment of salary for the period of
the conference. and Els application
for transfer to the Ministry of Pen
sions. A has heard that D is in
love with married typist and that
G and F are no longer on speaking
terms-no one seems to know why.
So A might be tempted to sign C's
draft and have done with it.
But A Is Conscientious
But A Is q conscientious man.
Beset as he is with problems created
BY his colleagues for themselves and
for him-created by the mere fact
OF these officials existence-he is
not the man to shirk his duty. He
reads through the draft with care,
deletes the fussy paragraphs added
by c an H and restores the thing
back to the form preferred in the
first instance by the able (if quar-
relsome) F. He corrects the Eng
lish-none of these young men can
write grammatically-and finally
produces the same reply he would
have written if officials C to II had
never been born. Far more people
have taken far longer to produce
the same result. No one has been
idle. All have done their best. And
1t is late in the evening before A
finally quits his Office and begins
the return journey to Ealing. The
last Of the Office lights are being
turned OF In the gathering dusk
which marks the end of another
days administrative toll. Among
the last to leave, A reflects. with
bowed shoulders and a wry smile,
that late hours. like gray hairs, are
among the penalties Of success. 49,.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Automatic Increases

Automatic Increases
It would be rational. prior to the
discovery Of Parkinson's Law, to
suppose that these changes in the
scope Of Empire would be reflected
In the size Of its central administra-
ton. But q glance at the figures
shows that the staff totals represent
automatic stages In an inevitable
increase. And this increase. while
related to that observed in other
departments, has nothing to do with
the size-or even the existence
of the Empire.
What are the percentages of in
crease? We must ignore. for this
purpose. the rapid increase in staff
which accompanied the diminution
Of responsibility during World War
II. We should note. rather. the
peacetime rates of increase; over
5.24 per cent between 1885 and 1899.
and SIS per cent between 1947 and
1854. This gives an average of $50
per cent each year. q percentage
markedly similar to that already
found In the Admiralty staff in
crease between 1914 and 1928.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
FormuIory Statement
OF Porkinson's Law

Further and detailed statistical
analysis of departmental stats
would be inappropriate in such an
article as this. It is hoped, however,
to reach a tentative conclusion re-
garding the time likely to elapse
between a given officials first ap-
pointment and the later appoint
ment Of his two or more assistants.
Dealing with the problem Of pure
staff accumulation. all the re-
searches so far completed point to
an average increase Of about 5A
per cent per year. This fact estab-
lished. 1t now becomes possible to
state Parkinson's Law in mathe-
matical form, thus:
In any public administrative de-
partment not actually at war the
staff increase may be expected to
follow this formula:
2km p
~ ~ @-M
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
'PARKINSON'S LAW

Editors note: The toIIoiDfn0
article first appeared IN the Lon
don Economist" of November
10, 1855. Though the studies on
tchich "Parkinson's LaU" wdS
based were conducted on the body
OF the British Civil Service, all
evidence points to the fact that 1t
is ald,D OF u,lipersal application.
Fer that reason, 1t is reprinted
herewith By permission OF the
publishers of the Econon1ist.)
It is a commonplace observation
that work expands so as to fill the
time available for its completion.
Thus, an elderly lady Of leisure can
spend the entire day in writing and
dispatching a postcard to her niece
at Bognor Regis. An hour win be
spent in finding the postcard, an
other in hunting for spectacles. half
an hour In search for the address.
an hour and a quarter in compo-
sition, and 20 minutes In decid-
ing whether or not to take an
umbrella when going to the pillar
box in the next street. The total
effort which would occupy a busy
man for three minutes all told may
in this fashion leave another per-
son PROSTATE after a day Of doubt.
anxiety and toll.
Granted that work land espe-
cially paper work. Is thus elastic
In its demands on time. 1t is mani
fest that there need be little or no
relationship between the work to be
done and the size Of the staff to
which 1t may be assigned. Before
the discovery Of q new scientific
lAw-herewith presented to the
public for the first time. and to be
called (why not?) Parkinson's Law
there has, however, been insuffi-
cient recognition Of the implications
Of this fact In the field Of public
administration.
Politicians and taxpayers have.
assumed with occasional phases of
doubt that q rising total in the
number of civil servants must re-
feet growing volume Of work to
be done. Cynics, in questioning this
belief, have imagined that the null
tiplication of officials must have
left some Of them idle or all of them
able to work for shorter hours.
But this is matter in which
faith and doubt seem equally mis-
placed. The fact is that the num-
Der OF the officials and the quantity
Of the work to be done are not
related to each other at all. The
rise in the total Of those employed
is governed by Parkinson's Law.
and would be much the same
whether the volume Of the work
were to increase. diminish or even
disappear.
Law OF Growth
The importance Of Parkinson's
Law lies In the fact that it Is O
Law Of growth based upon an analy-
sis Of the factors by which that
growth is controlled.
4uG N&luAty VI tkk1S ICCCut1y-
discovered law must rest mainly
on statistical proofs, which viii
follow. OF more interest to the
general reader is the explanation
Of the factors that underlie the
general tendency TO which this law
gives definition. omitting techni-
celities (Which are numerous) we
may distinguish, at the outset, two
motive forces. They can be rep
resented for the present purpose
by two almost automatic state
ments. thus:
Factor IAN Ohieial wants TO
multiply subOrdinates, not rivals;
and
Factor u.-Ohacials make work
for each other.
We must now examine these mo-
tive forces IN turn.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

where k is the number of staff seek
ing promotion through the appoint
ment of subordinates; p represents
the difference between the ages of
appointment and retirement; m is
the number Of man-hours devoted
to answering minutes within the
department; and n is the number
Of effective units being admins
tered. Then X will be the number
Of new staff required each year.
Mathematician will, of course,
realize that to find the percentage
increase they must multiply by
100 and divide by the total Of the
previous year, thus:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Now Work Begins
To Multiply, Too

Seven officials are now doing
what one did before. This is where
Factor II comes into operation.
For these seven make 90 much work
Cor each other that all are fully oc-
oupasd and A IN actually working
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

GeraId Warins, special correspondent Of
The Stor in conodo. recently returned
to his post In ottowa after o visit TO
lndo Chino. He wos one Of the few
Western journalists TO visit Northern Wet
Nam otter the "bomboo eurtoin" dropped
olons the l7th poroIIsi.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Reds in Northern Wet Nam
Use the STANDARD Rule Book
BY GERALD WARING

After studying North Vietnam's
Communist regime at close hand, a
Western diplomat in Hanoi, whose
previous post was Warsaw, is GER
tain the Kremln must put out
master handbook entitled perhaps
How to Communize a Country"
TITS the same pattern exactly"
he told me. Its frightening"
In the state-owned Hotel Metro
pole. which Is being operated ex-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

number, while the men Of White
hall increased by nearly 80 per cent.
For every new foreman or electrical
engineer at Portsmouth there had
to be two more clerks at Charing
Cross. From this we might be
tempted to conclude. Professionally.
that the rate Of the increase in
administrative staff is likely to be
double that of the technical staff
at time when the actually useful
strength Tin this case. of seamen)
is being reduced by 31.5 per cent.
It has been proved, however. sta
tistically, that this last percentage
Is irrelevant. The officials ,could
haze multiplied at the same rate
had there been no actual seamen at
all.
Colonial Office Data
It would be interesting to follow
the further progress by which the
B,1lS Admiralty staff Of 1885 came
to number 33.7s8 by 1854. But the
stan Of the Colonial once affords
o better field Of study during q
period Of Imperial decline. The
relevant statistics are set down be-
low.
Before showing what the rate Of
increase Ii, we must observe that
the extent Of this departments re-
probabilities was far from constant
during these 40 years The colonial
territories were not much altered in
area or population between 1885
and 1899. They were considerably
diminished by 1943. certain areas
being In enemy hands. They were
increased again in l947. but have
since then shrunk steadily from
year to year as successive colonies
achieve self government.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

The Soviet journalists who recently toured
this country announced at the NotienoI
Press Club here thot they would offer Q
prize on behalf Of the Moscow press
organization for the American reporter
who mode the greatest contribution 70
the eouse Of improving mutual under
stcndins between the American and
Soviet people,
The winning reporter, it was announced.
would be treated to q free six-week tous
Of the Soviet Union.
Here is an eohy entry in the contest.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
100 l2kn tp) o.

where y represents the total orig
inal staff. And this figure will In
variably prove to be between SIT
per cent and e.66 Rer cent. IRE
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
COLONEL Office Officials

1895 1889 l943 ls47 1854
37z $50 ST. l,l39 1851
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

1914 1928 decrease
CapitcI ships
In commission 81 70 STA
Officers and men
IN Royul Novy $4,000 100000 $3.50
Doekyord
workers -- $1,000 $3.50 r s.54
Doekyord offieioIs
ond clerks - s,74s 4,55s LOB
Admiralty
offieiols $50 1000 1869 +7S.4s
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

Percentage
increase OF
1914 1928 decrease
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-06-02
Thirteenth Election District
TAKOMA PARK
TOWN TAX ONLY

Bauserman, George w. & L. C..
Lot 9, Block 3, "Hill Crest, con-
tanning $500 square feet and i'm
provements, assessed at $9,O90.O0.
Taxes, interest and costs, $106.17.
Bell, Hattie-Lot 15A, Block 81,
'B. F. Gilbert, containing SSH
square feet and improvements, as
sessed at $1,800.00. Taxes, inter
est and costs, $27.44.
Hannah, John F. Jr. & A. NJ
Lot l, Block so, ST. B. D. Austins
Subdivision, containing 4,875
square feet and Improvements, as
sessed at $4,940.00. Taxes, inter
est and costs, $61.35.
Kefauver, Mary E. - Lot %,
Block 3, "B. F. Gilbert, contain
ing 12,705 square feet and i'm
proVements, assessed at Sc, 10000
Faxes, interest and costs, $76.69
Malcolm, Van S. & Evelyn-Lot
8, Block 60, "B. F. Gilbert, con
tanning 1902 square feet and i'm.
provements, assessed at Sc, 10000
Taxes, interest and costs, $7496.
Thirteenth Election District
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-06-02

| Sixteenth Street WOODS Devel
opment Corporation - Lot 8, II
and IL, Block SO, "B. F. Gilbert"
assessed at 100000. Taxes, inter
est and costs, $49494.
Sixteenth Street Woods Devel
opment Corporation-Lot 5, Block
60, "B. F. Gilbert'S", containing
22,6OO square feet, assessed at 81,
10000. Taxes, interest and costs
$81.58.
Steed, Clyde & F. G.-Lot 10
Block so, "B. F. Gilbert, contain
ing 27,575 square feet, assessed al
$4,000. Taxes, interest and
costs, $136.48.
Thomson, John A. & F. M
Lot "a, Block %, "B. F. Gilbert"
containing $3.50 square feet and
improvements, assessed at ST.,
$4,000. Taxes, interest and costs
$3.50.
Turner, David F. & A. M.-Part
of Lot 49,, Block 81, "B. F. Gil
BERT, containing 1864 square
feet and improvements, assessed
at $4,000. Taxes, interest and
costs, $129.28.
Walsh, David A. & E.-Part OF
Lot 9, Block SO, Barclays Subdi
vision, containing 1888 square
feet and improvements assessed
at $6,320.00. Taxes, interest and
costs, $234.31.
Watson, r. D.-Outlot A, Block
6B, "Takoma Park, containing
1920 square feet, assessed al
$680.00. Taxes, interest and costs,
$37.99.
Watson, r. blot 20, Block
so, "B. F. Gilbert, containing H..
1888 square feet, assessed at ST..
$4,000. Taxes, interest and costs,
$67.72.
Watson, r. D.-Part of Lot 50,
Block 81, Homes and Austin"
containing 365 square feet, assess,
ed at $4,000. Taxes, interest and
costs, $12.65.
White, Kenneth H. & v. Plot
"a, Block 20, "B. F. Gilbert, Ia.
koma Park, and improvements,
assessed at $6,480.OO. Taxes, in.
terest and costs, $239.15.
Williams, Mary M. - Lot II,
Block 1, Hill Crest, containing
$500 square feet and improve
ments, assessed at $4,890.00.
Taxes, interest and costs, $132.18.
Wilson, Harry ]. ct al-Lot Sc,
Block so, "B. F. Gilbert, and i'm.
provements, assessed at S., 250.00.
Taxes, interest and costs, $201. 76.
Wilson, Harry ]. ct al-Lot As,
Block so, "B: F. Gilbert, contain,
ing 6,556 square feet, assessed at
$1,110,00. Taxes, interest and
costs, $45.73.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-06-02
Thirteenth Election District
NORTH KENSINGTON

Brewer, John K. & Hot 2,
Block c, "R. S. Anderson Estates,
North Kensington", containing L
116 square feet and improvements
assessed at $8,03000. Taxes, inter
est and costs, $256.59.
Herring, Sherwood H. & A. A
Lot Is, Block A, "Swarthmore
Terrace, North Kensington", con
tanning SITS square feet and i'm
provements, assessed at $S,5S000
Taxes, interest and costs, S255. S8
Mead, Paul d. & S. Part OF
Lot l, Block 7, North Kensing
tom, containing 1850 square feet
assessed at $4,000. Taxes, inter
est and costs, $26.64.
Mead, Paul D. L. S. Part o.
Lot 20, Block Z, North kensing
tom, containing 1850 square feet
assessed at $4,000. Taxes, inter
est and costs, $15.S4.
Norris, Thomas II. G. M. E
Lot 4, Block II, North KenSing
tom, containing $500 square fee
and improvements, assessed at So,
$4,000. Taxes, interest and costs
STATS.