Show CHANCE TO FIND OUT I Just t now a belated effort is under underway underway underway way to find out some of the facts about government business and ond govern government gov gov- ern lent employment ment The Bureau of the Budget has hns been organized and ond andis ondIs Is 3 I. I is t operation under the direction of G. G Dawes Muth houses of congress are workIng work- work In lag Ing on the problem of ot reclassIfication of government go positions and salaries The Veterans' Veterans bureau has been organized organized or or- and ond has hns taken over the bureau of ot war or risk insurance that part of the Ule public health sea service which had to do with n veterans and all of the work of th the v federal board for tor vocational vocational vocational voca voca- education except that part which had hud to do du with the treatment of persons injured in the industries There Is also the inquiry being made mode by the Joint committee on the r reorganization reP re organization of ot the lire administrative administrative branch of oC the government of the two house of congress of which I have spoken Walter F. F Brown of Ohio Is chairman of this committee representing represent represent- ing Pre President Harding The members of the committee are ure on the part of the senate Senators Smoot of Utah Harrison of M and Wads Wads- Wadsworth worth of ut New York The Time members on onUle time Uie part of ot the time house are arc Representatives Representatives es Ilea vis of Nebraska Temple of ot and Moore of ot Pennsylvania Virginia The Job of this Joint committee is isto isto isto to make a survey of the administrative tive U services of the government for the purpose of securing ill all pertinent facts regarding ng their powers and duties their distribution among the several executive departments and the overlapping overlapping over over- lapping nod antI duplication of authority In reporting the resolution from the Judiciary committee to the hou house e the mE members w n re told It le I. a matter of ot common knowledge that millions of ot dollars are wasted by bythe bythe bythe the government by the almost endless duplication of or activities There has been no fundamental change In the administrative adminis adminis- activities since the organization was devised by Alexander Hamilton and the result is le that activities entirely out of ot harmony with the functions of or departments depart depart- ments mente have grown with the passing years until the government of ot the United States has become not only the tho biggest business In the tho world but the worlds world's worst managed managed man man- aged business The purpose of ot the resolution Is to ascertain so 60 far as aa possible the extent of or the overlapping and duplication of or activities ac ac- activities with the view that numerous commissions and bureaus may be eliminated eliminated eliminated and a great saving RavIng effected in the governmental l expenditures The committee commit commit- tee feels that no more constructive le legislation legislation legis legis- ls- ls lation is possible under existing n. conditions conditions conditions condi condi- than the legislation proposed bythe by the resolution With the tilO present condl condi Uon of ot the th nations nation's finances and the burden bur bur- den hy pull peor suffer S bec because of ot 1 0 live Ive taxation any legislative m measure looking to real economy commend Itself to the sympathetic attention o 0 of the house and we feel teel that the time passage of this resolution and the work of ot the committee committee committee com com- which will be done under its Ita au authority authority u au- will result In the saving of ot millions millions mil mu- lions annually It can cnn be predicted with considerable n assurance that nothing will come of ot this proposed voyage vonge of ot discovery unless unless un un- un less we the shareholders In the enterprise enterprise enter enter- prise maintain an nn active orthe lively sustained sus sus- tattled Interest In It One ite thing Is al always always al- al wa ways s 's true of ot the house of re representatives re- re It es It is representative Jf It f we breathe warmly upon It It It glows If we are are- Indifferent It becomes cold This Isn't the first time that a plan has hns been hlen set in motion to find out something about how the governments government's business Is conducted The earliest inquiry Into the administrative ad ad- methods of ot the executive departments was made by hy the Cockrell commission In lit 1887 1837 Six years Jears later In 1893 1803 a Joint commission lon of which H Representative Dockery was chairman was tens appointed to examine the time status of the laws organizing the departments depart depart- m ments President Roosevelt In 1905 1005 named an Interdepartmental committee e. of ot which C. C H II n. Keep assistant secretary secretary secretary secre secre- tary of the treasury was chairman to consider department methods President dent lent Taft In turn In 1910 named a commission on economy and efficiency of ot which Frederick Cleveland was was chairman Broadly and generally speaking nothing came of ot these enterprises You and I commonly I-commonly and vaguely known as the public were public-were were not Interested Interested In In- and neither was congrE congress Ss That ended It But just now at this moment we have hove the best hest chance we ever had to find out about our common business and how to Improve It and l lessen Its cost to us Time The burden of supporting It Is hen heavier vier than ever er before You Tou will perhaps notice nil all through these articles that the Information supplied me about the gen general ral facts of ot government go employment nt and govern government government government ment business s l are In terms of estimates estimates' and approximations This is one of ot the defects of government organization It Is Js s so large and so formless ss and Its parts so unrelated that exact and ond precise about the whole Is virtually tamable It Is of ot the greatest urs urgency ncr and J nE fired that the people shall know knott Rb about pt their government nt but trey will wiP find finH It cult to learn until the co roes ov I eras ut 1 knows nO 8 About itself 7 j t 3 j.- j. 1 ri f |