AMERICA'S EFFICIENCY CAMPAIGN

Evening Star, Issue 19022, 18 August 1925, Page 10

AMERICA'S EFFICIENCY CAMPAIGN

SOME POPULATION FACTS Tie cost of government to the American people in 1922, as represented by the payment of taxes, has been estimated by the bureau of the census at 6.349.120.000 dollars (writes an ‘ Argus correspondent). This represents an increase of 198 per cent, over the amount paid in 1912, which was 2,131,402.000 dollars. Of tins increased levy, 3.204.133.000 dollars was paid to the Federal Government alone, while in 1912 it received but 067,038,000 dollars. The figures also show a sharp increase in the rate oßStnto taxation. The amount collected in 1922 by this agency was 867,552,000 dollars against 300.000 dollars in 1912, an increase of 183 per cent. County taxes were 745,'HI.UOO dollars in 1922 as compared with 307,872 dollars in 1912, or a difference of 142 per cent. The tax collections of incorporated towns and cities for 1922 were 1,532,435,000 dollars as against 849,971,000 dollars in 1912, an i 80 per cent, increase. Those figures do not include the income of governmental bodies from licences, permits, and services. The average per capita tax collected in the United States for the support of all government other than Federal was estimated at 38.82 dollars. The cost of town and city government was 24.57 dollars, of State government 8.91 dollars, and county 7.61 dollars. In 1922 the highest cost of State local government was in Nevada, being a per capita total of 82.09 dollars. The lowest was in South Carolina, 14.13 dollars. STOPPING WASTE. Within Government circles and in business organisations a movement has begun to reduce waste and increase efficiency. Interestingly enough, Government agencies, for some partj wish to introduce reforms in private industry, while private industry is calling for reform in Government oiganisations. This paradox, however, must not lead to the fear that nothing is being accomplished. Some time ago, Mr Hoover (secretary of the Department of Commerce) informed the American Engineering Council that his department had expended 100,000 dollars in an efficiency campaign in the interests of industry. This outlay bore fruit in a,u annual reduction of at least 600,000,000 dollars in industrial waste.. Mr Hoover expressed the opinion that this is the moans of bringing to the American people in added national wealth and to the Treasury directly hundreds of millions of dollars in available taxes. The Secretary of Commerce further developed bis ideas at a recent meeting of the National Civic Federation, attended by Labor loaders, financiers, educators, engineers, railway officials, lawyers, architects, and other professional men. He said in part: “You cannot catch an economic force with a policeman. What lam referring to is the type of waste in industry which arises from had co-ordination of industry as a whole. . . The savings we can make through the application of invention, through increase in skill, through elimination of collective wastes, is bound to extend over to the consumer. It should be extended over to Labor to secure service and contentment, and as a matter of fact it will bo extended oovr to capital because capital comes cheaper with increasing security. If wo would examine our utilities and many of our older and larger manufacturing concerns from this point of view we would find that an astonishing proportion of our national production and service is now operating in various degrees under the regime of a new conception of capital, management, labor, and the consumer.” RAILWAY ECONOMY. The extent of waste in national industry was put by Mr Hoover at 30 per cent. As an example of successful elimination he cited the railways ol the country. In three years, he said, the transportation machine of the country has increased its efficiency to an extent permitting a 14 per cent, growth in the freight handled, with no material rise in gross operating expense. This phenomenon, moreover, was attended by a 5 per cent, decrease in freight rates, a reduction in the hours of labor, and some increase in wages of railway employees. Mr Richard 11. Ai.sbton, president of the American Railway Association, during an address to the New York Hand Club gave the definite figures concerning the savings made by the railways. Ho said that economies in transportation in the last two years had removed transportation emergencies and had reduced operating expenses, which in 1924 were 1,272,000,000 dollars less than in 1920. In 1923 the decrease was 985,000,000 dollars, compared with 1920. “What became of that money?” lie added. “That’s the question ‘ the public evinces such great interest in. In 1924, with its great decrease in operating expenses, the public received a direct benefit through reductions in freight rates on traffic carried below the rates in effect in 1921, Through economics and improved methods" that have been put into effect since 1921 there has been saved to the public through reduced charges, by reason of a lower level of freight rates, 1,614,000, dollars. Adequate transportation is the assurance of national prosperity, and the guarantee of national unity,” ho said. “ The only real railroad problem that confronts us is to preserve and increase our national unity by extending the railroads and maintaining and operating them to the highest degree of efficiency.” POPULATION. Estimates made by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a private organisation, place the population of the continental United States as on January 1, 1925, at 114,311,000, representing a gain of 1,627,000 miring 1924. This gain is one-fifth by immigration and four-fifths by births. The 1920 official census gave the continental population at 105,711,000. The estimated increase in population in each year since January 1,1909, is as follows:

“ During the last sixteen years,” a bulletin issued by the bureau states, “ there occurred in the United States over 41.000,000 births, and approximately 22,000,000 deaths. _ It appears, therefore, that the gain in population from excess of births over deaths was something over 19,000,000, or more than three times the increase in population duo to immigration. The chief cause of increase in population in the United States, therefore, is not immi-

gration, but rather the fact that more people are born than die.” The figures of the bureau on the year-to-year increase since 1909 are as follow I'-

ll! 1913 immigration added to the American population 952,000 persons. During the war immigration was practically at a standstill. Post-war incomers reached the greatest number in 1923—747,000. The last immigration law diminished the population inflow by more than 50 per cent.; it was only 315,000 in 1924.

Year. Number. Per cent. 1909 ... 2,173,000 2.43 19ID ... 1.635,000 1.79 1911 ... 1,293,000 1.39 1912 ... 1,636,000 1.78 1913 ... 2,069,000 2.15 1914 ... 1.197,000 1.52 1915 ... 1,345,000 1.35 1916 ... 1,535,000 1.52 1917 ... 1,262,000 1.23 1918 ... 672,000 0.65 1919 ... ... 1,187,000 1.14 1920 ... 1,701,000 1.01 1921 ... 1,723,000 1.60 1922 ... 1,553,000 1.12 1923 ... 1,996,000 1.80 1924 ... 1,627,000 1.14 Total 16 rears 24,954,000 Avg. 16 years 1,560,000 1.55

1909 89,357,000 1918 103,852,000 1910 91,530,000 1919 104,524,000 1911 93,165,000 1920 105,711,000 1912 94,458,000 1921 107,412,000 1913 96,144,000 1922 109,135,000 1914 98,213,000 1923 110,688,000 1915 99,710,000 1924 112,684,000 1910 101,055,000 1925 114,311,000 1917 102,590,000