Milford chronicle., 1955-04-15

! GOVERNMENT PAPER WORK COSTL Y
If yours is an average American family
1t costs you the neat sum of 500 a year lust
to pay your share Of the paper work done by
the federal government
That is one of the startling facts pro
duced in newly published Hoover Commits
sion report, which goes into the paper work
problem IN detail and makes certain recon-
mendatlOns for reorganization and reform
Everyone who has served in one of the
armed forces has had personal experience
with the extent and complexity of govern
ment record keeping and other paper work.
IL has been the subject of innumerable Jokes
and anecdotes. But it's no laughing matter.
when considered in the light of its cost in
time, effort and money. And, while this is a
problem OF some magnitude in industry as
well, 1t seems that it has reached its most
acute and Wasteful form in the huge federal
establishment.
AS a result Of a prior Hoover Commits
sion study, changes were made in methods of
handling government records that have saved
nearly S35,OOO,OOO in single year. But
that notable effort has touched upon onlv a
relatively small portion of the governments
paper work activity. According to this new
report, the government creates and handles
some 25,OO0,000,000 pieces of PAPER each
year, not counting that used in manuals.
pamphlets, and the like. This requires the
services OF more than 100000 full-time en-
ployees. And it costs S4,000,OOOOOO a wear
-Wnlch, by way of comparison, is about
equal to the whole federal budget prior to %
years ago!
The paper work takes various forms.
Some $4,000, 100000 of the sheets are print
ed or mimeOgraphed. More than 1.OO0OOO-
90 are individual letters-and to write these
costs Sl,0OO,OO0,000 or a dollar each. The
government has hundreds of millions of dol
lars invested in office equipment, and Office
space Tor the paper work employees costs
9l0OOOOOOO annually. There are more than
24OOO,OOO cubic feet Of federal agency rec
Ords-Which, the report observes. are enOuOb
TO tlil seven buildings the size of the gigantic
PentagOn.
The increase in paper work came. of
course, with the enormous growth of the
government in recent years. And. in some
instances at least, the paper work grew far
faster In 1912 writing of individual letters |
per government employee tOtaled 55; now it |
totals about 522 year. In addition to the |
cost IN money, the volume of paper work |
imposed upon top federal EMPLOYEES inter
fereS with their basic responsibilities. The
report finds that this paper work, along with |
various laws and regulations, makes these
positions far more difficult than those of the
top officers of large corporations.
OAAO NAAO IAlC 4CpOIL uldkGS q NUMBER OF |
specific suggestions for cutting down on the
paper work and effecting other allied re-
forms. 1t estimates that savings could be
made as follows: in correspondence. S75.-
0OO,0O0; IN forms, $50,000,00O; in reports.
S5O,0OO,OOO; in record keeping. S5O,0O0OO
IN mail handling, $30,00Q,OO0 That adds up
to S255,OOO,O0O, which could be saved the
taxpayers in this one field of government
activity. alone. The report urges that early
action be taken 1t should be.
INSOLVENCY MEANS DESTRUCTION II
Senator Byrd has said: eve still have
practically the highest taxes we have ever
Known. Yet, balanced budget is not in
sight. Unless Federal spending is reduced
still further, deficit spending and initiation
Viii continue to the bitter end which is in
'OlVency We can not preserve our freedom
n insolvency. We can not defend ourselves t
nlltarlly In insolvency. Our currency will
De worthless in insolvency. Those who c
Vlltully or otherwise would destroy Ameri-
'an solvency would destroy freedom for peo-
pie everywhere!"
The fate of the whole free world NAV
depend on this cOuntry's BUDGET ,
lnd hscal policy. No matter how difficult the
OO, no matter how painful the process, gov
ornment spending must be sharply reduced. d
mat means the people must curb their de- '
nands for more and more handouts from
government or suffer the consequences. '
5000 C