WORK IN WASHINGTON

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 121, 22 May 1920, Page 5

WORK IN WASHINGTON

MR. F. K. LANE'S INCISIVE COMMENTS HONEST BUT UNORGANISED* (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LOS ANGELES (Cal.), 16th March. Mr. Franklin X.» Lane, probably the finest mind in President Wilson's Cabinet, has retired after twenty-six years of public service, the last' seven of which were as member of the official family. He could not be President, as he was born in Canada. In a parting report to the President, he said : "Official Washington is a combination of political caucus, drawingroom, and Civil Service Bureau, containing statesmen who an politicians, and politicians who are not statesmen. It is poorly organised for its task, which' fewer men of larger capacity would do better.

"Washington is rich in brains and character; It is honest beyond "any commercial standard. It wishes to do everything that will promote the. publia good. But it is poorly organised for the task that it has to carry out. Ability is not lacking., but it ■is pressed to "the point of paralysis, because, of an infinitude of details and an unwillingness on the part of the great, body of the pilblio servants to take responsibility. Everyone seems .afraid of everyone else. Tlie self-protective instinct is developed abnormally, and the creative sense 'atrophies. Trust, confidence, enthusiasm the simple virtues of all great business, are the ones most lacking in governmental organisation. We have so man" checks and brakes upon our work that our progress does not keep pace with the nation's requirements.

"We should save money for the Government if we had more discretion as to how we should use that given us. For the benefit of the Civil servants, there should be t quicker promotion or discharge, and a sure insurance when disability comes. For the higher administrative officers there should be salaries twice as Imrh as those now given, and they should be made to feel that they are the, ones responsible for the work of the Department. The head should be merely an adviser and constructor of policies. As matters are now devised, there are too few in the Government whose business it is to plan. Every man is held to details, to the narrower view which comes too often to bo the departmental view. We need, for the day that is here and upon 'us, men who" have little to do but study the problems of the time and test their capacity at meeting them. In a word, wo need nlore opportunity for planning, engineering statesmanship above, and more fixed authority and. responsibility below."